THE URQUHART BUILDING OF THE BRITISH LIBRARY LENDING DIVISION: THE DESIGN OF A SINGLE FUNCTION LIBRARY BUILDING

Abstract

A staged building programme has been necessary to meet the growth in demand on the British Library Lending Division and to house its increased stock. The Urquhart Building, the main building on the site, is designed for easy access to high‐use stock, fast flow of material, and future flexibility. The ground floor receives and despatches post, and mechanical handling equipment moves request forms and library materials to the processing and records area on the first floor and the six further storeys that house stock. There are large areas for access and machinery on the storage floors. The shelving for both hard‐copy and microforms was specially designed. Mechanical handling systems include conveyors in the packing areas, automatic vertical elevators, and mobile containers to carry request forms between request processing and storage areas. Other buildings on the site will be used for future stock expansion.