Capita Symonds to manage massive new British Library storage site

Capita Symonds is project manager on a major new scheme for the British Library at its Boston Spa site. A new book storage facility will provide capacity for 7 million items from the national collection, which is currently expanding at a rate of of 12.5km of linear shelf space per year.

The automated facility will house low and medium-use items from the library's immense collection, helping to meet its storage requirements over the next decade. Capita will be working with contractor Allenbuild, specialist automated material handling contractor FKI Logistex and multi-disciplinary consultant Atkins on the project.

The British Library’s director of finance and corporate services, Steve Morris, said: "With existing facilities, the British Library is about to reach storage capacity and this building will meet our immediate storage needs as well as providing growth for a number of years."

Capita Symonds associate director Paul Terry said, "We were in at the very beginning, so we are delighted that the parts of the jigsaw, in the shape of the major partners, have now neatly slotted into place on time and within budget."