What is happening to the New Bodleian?
The New Bodleian currently stores approximately 3.5 million volumes and is also the home of the Universitys rare and special collections, which include papers of six British prime ministers. However, its facilities are now inadequate, in terms of space, temperature and humidity controls, fire safety, and flood and security protection. The scale of these problems has led the National Archives to question the future of the Bodleian as an Approved Repository for housing archival collections of national significance, given that the New Bodleian no longer meets The National Archives Standard for Record Repositories. In response, the University is seeking to remodel the New Bodleian significantly so that it may respond to these challenges. The project will involve the replacement of the central stack, the development of three floors of secure storage below ground level, the provision of additional reading rooms, and the creation of dedicated floors for curation and conservation. In addition
