A major expansion of the University of Oxford’s storage facility in Swindon is currently underway. The project will increase the capacity of storage facilities for both Bodleian Libraries and Oxford University Museums.
The development is designed to expand storage for the Bodleian Libraries, as well as the University’s four museums: the Ashmolean Museum, the Museum of Natural History, the Pitt Rivers Museum and the History of Science Museum.
The expansion will extend the existing Collections Storage Facility (CSF) at South Marston by constructing a new climate-controlled chamber. Other planned constructions include a storage area for zoological specimens, a conservation laboratory, a secure loading bay, and a photography and digitisation studio. The project will also develop the visitor amenities available at the site.
The main contractor of the project, Glencar, announced the commission on the 20th May. Construction on the project started in April and is set to take place over a 69-week programme, with practical completion scheduled for August 2026.
The CSF, known as the Book Storage Facility until 2023, consists of over 150 miles of shelves, which currently house more than 10 million books alongside maps, manuscripts, and other objects of importance. Two days a week, new material arrives from the Bodleian’s Special Collections and Legal Deposit teams, necessitating increased storage over time. The warehouse is currently home to four temperature and humidity controlled rooms, though the ongoing development is set to create a fifth.
Head of the University’s Gardens, Libraries and Museums group (GLAM), Richard Ovenden, told Cherwell: “The Collections Storage Facility expansion is a critical development for the Gardens, Libraries and Museums of the University of Oxford, ensuring that the University’s collections are preserved under optimal conditions for future generations.”
