FUTURE STORAGE REQUIREMENTS AT THE BRITISH LIBRARY LENDING DIVISION: FIXED OR MOBILE SHELVING?

Abstract

The British Library Lending Division's main ‘Urquhart’ building has 130 kilometres (80 miles) of shelving. The first half of this building was completed in 1972–73. and in 1980 an extension provided an extra 65 kilometres (40 miles) of shelves, which are used to house recently acquired monograph and serial stock, as well as some older serials and microform publications. Even before this extension had been completed planning was well advanced on the buildings that would be necessary when it became full. The total length of the Division's present shelving is approximately 160 kilometres (100 miles). In 1973, at the time the British Library was formed, the Lending Division had stock that filled approximately 65 kilometres (30 miles) of shelves. When the extension to the Urquhart building was opened in 1980, the stock had grown to occupy 105 kilometres (66 miles) and it is expected to expand at a rate of about 7.5 kilometres (4.7 miles) per year. By 1985, the present buildings will therefore be operationally full (operational capacity is reached when about 85% of shelf‐space is occupied).