More Room at the UL

The penultimate phase of the Library’s development programme, an extension to the rear of the building, contains five floors of temperature- and humidity-controlled book stack. It will enable the University’s extensive archives, going back to 1266, to be shelved for the first time in ideal conditions, along with the scientific and astronomical records of the Royal Greenwich Observatory and many of the Library’s rare book collections.

The additional 30,000 linear metres shelving frees up space elsewhere in the Library allowing a gradual reorganisation of modern collections to make them more accessible, and provides more room to cope with the two kilometres of new books the Library receives each year.

Fundraising is now under way for the final phase of the development, a further seven million pound extension to fill the gap that is now very obvious from Grange Road.

One specific aim of the project is the preservation of the nineteenth century printed materials which are becoming vulnerable and in need of more protective storage.

“A book published in 1880 is much more vulnerable than one published in 1580,” explained the University Librarian Peter Fox. “This is down to the shift from printing on paper made from rags to paper made from wood pulp. This contains lignin which is acidic and destroys the paper from within. We need to provide a stable cool dark climate for these books to prevent them deteriorating, in much the same way – though obviously more slowly as newspapers yellow and curl if left out in the sun.”

The extension was designed by the Harry Faulkner Brown Howe Partnership following the style of the original 1930s Gilbert Scott building. The main contractor was R. G. Carter and the Project Manager was John Woods from the University’s Estate Management and Building Service.

The Library is currently hosting part of the Cambridge Illuminations exhibition in its Exhibition Centre, in conjunction with the Fitzwilliam Museum. It is open to the public, just off the main entrance foyer, Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 4.30pm. Admission is free.