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The Library extension comes into use

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The Library is about 30 per cent larger this academic year. The 18 months of construction work, fitting out, and relocation of stock and furniture, should have ended - for the time being at least - by the time these words are read. At last there are some benefits to users to compensate for the various disturbances and temporary rearrangements. But substantial further changes in the present building must be made before the redevelopment is complete, and these will be undertaken during spring and summer 1998, following further preparatory moves this autumn. Many of the new arrangements now in place are temporary, and the opportunities created by the building of the extension will not be fully taken up until this time next year.

Already, though, there is a different feel to the Library:

• A major new lightwell provides a link between the old building and the extension, and, particularly at ground (entrance) level the outlook to the west is opened up.

• The tiny (and frequently congested) central staircase has been removed, and a much more spacious replacement is available; it rises from the new lightwell, and is straight ahead as you enter the Library. Two other new staircases are provided in the extension, both providing attractive views of the campus and surrounding Downs.

• The Short Loan collection remains on the ground floor, but has been moved from the old building to the south (Gardner Centre) end of the extension, where windows provide natural light, and where the layout allows reshelving activities to be less obstrusive to users.

• Current periodical parts are displayed 'face out' on the first floor of the extension, i.e. with their covers fully visible, while other recent unbound parts are accessible from behind the display shelves.

• In the main part of the extension most stack lights are activated automatically as users enter stack aisles, and switch themselves off after a period in which no movement is detected in a particular aisle.

• As important, about a quarter of the main (Long Loan) collection has been relocated. Stock with shelfmarks beginning: A, B, C, D-DC, J, K, L, M, N, QE-QZ, and Y has all been moved, mostly to the extension.

It is hoped to provide a period of minimum disturbance from mid-April to the end of May, i.e. prior to and during the main examination period; it is already clear, however, that stock movements will be necessary from early June, and contractors' activities from mid-June, if everything is to be completed by the start of the 1998/99 session. More detailed planning is now under way, and may of course require these forecasts to be modified in due course.

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Friday October 10th 1997