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Home  »   About Us  »  Towards Bodleian 2015: Project Updates  »  Completed Projects  »  Law Library

The Bodleian Law Library is a wonderful research facility with an excellent collection. However, having been planned and built over 40 years ago, some of these facilities are no longer appropriate for the current day needs of the readers, researchers, academic staff and library staff. The Law Library has outgrown the space available for the collection, and also for its staff. A remodelling addressed four areas of need:

• To increase shelf space for the law collection, mobile shelving units were installed on the ground floor to hold the superseded materials. These materials are still accessible to readers; placing them in mobile stacks increases the shelf space and allows for ongoing growth of the collection.
• The Law Library's collection of Rare books (pre-1800) were housed in locked cases in the main section of the library, where they were adversely affected by heat and humidity. The creation of a purpose built Rare Books Room, with separate and specific atmospheric controls, ensures the long-term preservation of these precious materials for posterity.
• Library staff numbers have trebled since the library was built, but the staff work areas had not increased. To meet the standards expected today of proper work space and environments for staff, it was necessary to extend the available space for staff so that they are provided with suitable work facilities.
• The library entrance was no longer suitable to the nature of the service we need to provide our readers. There was a need to create automated entry and exit points, and to provide a single point of access to the Reserve Collection, which provides in-house loans of key texts. Redesigning this entrance improved access to the library and the desk services we offer.

Please contact Ruth Bird (ruth.bird@bodleian.ox.ac.uk) for further information.