In 2006, Manuscripts and Special Collections moved from Hallward Library on the main University campus to larger premises at King's Meadow Campus.
For some years space had been a problem in Hallward Library. This had limited acquisitions of new material, reduced the ability to allow group or class visits, and caused a difficulty in developing digital access - one of the priority's for the Section.
At the same time, pressure on Hallward Library from other parts of Information Services had grown. Relocation to a new site enabled the service to develop in response to new needs while releasing space for other library purposes.
The standards of accommodation required for manuscripts and rare book collections are very exacting. The facilities at King’s Meadow Campus (formerly the Carlton TV Studios) broadly met the specifications for curating such collections and were approved in principle by The National Archives Advisory and Liaison Services.
Work began in late 2005 on planning the accommodation, preparing the stock, and addressing the issues which the move would create for both users and staff. A User Group, chaired by Professor Alan Ford, and made up of members from within the academic community and outside the University, met regularly to discuss progress and future operational issues.
Our collections include around 3 million documents and 40,000 Special Collections items. Most of this material is unique and requires particular care in handling, packing and shelving. Very detailed planning was necessary to ensure that location registers continued to serve after removal to a new store with a different shelving configuration. All staff in the Section were involved in the considerable task of preparing the collections and overseeing their safe transfer.
By March 2006, work was well ahead on the preparation of the collections to ensure their safe move to King’s Meadow Campus. Some of this work would itself bring long-term incidental benefits, such as the protective repackaging of material in preservation quality boxes. We received invaluable assistance in this from a group of our regular volunteers.
The kitting out of the new store with appropriate shelving was agreed, and a specialist move company appointed to undertake the physical relocation of the collections and the necessary revisions to location guides.
The Hallward Library Reading Room was closed for the use of manuscripts and special collections on 13 April 2006. However, it was possible to keep the East Midlands open access local studies collection available throughout May, despite the work being undertaken by staff to prepare the collections for their move. The Reading Room closed completely on 5 June, but arrangements were made for members of the library to borrow items from the East Midlands loan collection.
The physical move of the collections involved around 10,000 crates and was completed in 75 separate journeys over six weeks in June and July.
By August all staff had moved to new office accommodation at King’s Meadow Campus and were engaged in checking the locations of the material and establishing procedures for their use and storage. Work also continued on the installation and commissioning of equipment and furnishings, and final elements of the refurbishment programme. This part of the project particularly concerned conservation, reprographics and digitisation.
Manuscripts and Special Collections opened again for consultation of material on Tuesday 29 August, 2006. The new premises included:
The new Reading Rooms at King's Meadow Campus were named the Wolfson Reading Rooms in recognition of a grant of £500,000 from the Wolfson Trust to Information Service to help to develop the new Manuscripts and Special Collections facility at King’s Meadow Campus.
Entrance to King's Meadow Campus
All the manuscript and special printed book collections have now moved to King's Meadow Campus.
Moving the collections from our old store in Hallward Library to the new Strong Room was a massive project.
Most of our material requires particular care in handling, packing and shelving.
We received invaluable assistance from a group of our regular volunteers.
A specialist removal company worked for six weeks moving crated material between the two sites.