The New Bodleian Library Conservation Plan - Central ...

4 Vulnerabilities4.1 The Ability of the New Bodleian to provide world-class academic resourcesThe way in which the New Bodleian relates to the other buildings and effectivelyservices them is vital to the significance of the building and the complex as a whole.To risk losing the library use on the New Bodleian site is to risk ‘ripping the heart’ outof academic Oxford with the Old Bodleian Library and the Radcliffe Camera ceasingto be major academic centres.The ongoing alterations will bring the New Bodleian’s book storage facilities up tomodern standards, so ensuring that the significance of the site in this area ismaintained.4.1.1 Environmental ControlIn terms of temperature and relative humidity the 2010 alterations will bring the NewBodleian’s book storage facilities in line with BS5454:2000 "Recommendations forthe storage and exhibition of archival documents." This will allow the New Bodleianto remain an “approved repository” to the standards required by the NationalArchives; however, due to the significance and vulnerability of the collection this willalways require constant vigilance and updating based on changing technologies andstandards.4.1.2 SecurityThe value of the Bodleian’s collections will inevitably attract thieves, as a series ofhigh-profile thefts in the last 10 years highlights. The current alterations will allowpublic access to the building for the first time. This will introduce new security riskswhich will be somewhat mitigated by the introduction of “security access zones”,based on a hierarchy of public-reader-staff.Public access is untested in the Bodleian and the effects of the policy will have to beconstantly monitored to achieve the optimum security results.4.1.3 Fire ProtectionWith a manuscript collection of such size and significance fire safety will always bean important priority. The ongoing alterations will remove many of the existing fireprotection weaknesses within the stack, to the extent that the fire protection standardsfor the safeguarding of the archives will be more stringent than the relevant BuildingRegulations. The water-mist fire suppression system poses some risk to the archives,but this will be lower than other systems, and is the most effective protection againstthe greater risk of fire.4.1.4 Flood/Damp ProtectionThe new basement stack will be protected from ground water ingress by externalconcrete slabs with minimal penetrations. However, the rainwater pipes in thebuilding remain internal, making them difficult to access for maintenance. InternalNew Bodleian LibraryConservation Plan, April 201223