Colindale Newspapers Migration Strategy
The British Library holds the finest newspaper collection in the world. Over 30,000 people use the national newspaper collection every year.
The British Library announced on Thursday 1 March 2007 major plans to move its historic newspaper collection. Newspapers deteriorate quickly because of the poor quality of the paper they are printed on and there are growing concerns about the fragility of the collection, which is viewed and handled by more than 30,000 people every year. Fifteen per cent of the collection cannot be used by readers because of its poor condition. A further 19% is at high risk, and will soon have to be withdrawn from use.
The British Library is acting to provide readers better access and to preserve it for future generations. Many items we hold do not exist anywhere else.
The newspaper collection will move from its current home in Colindale to a new storage facility that will provide improved preservation facilities. Digital and Microfilm access to the collection will be provided at the British Library's St Pancras site.
The move will take place on a phased basis from 2007 to 2011 and will lead to the closure of Colindale by December 2012. Approximately 100 people are currently employed at Colindale. The British Library aims to redeploy staff to jobs at other Library sites. The British Library has no plans to offer redundancy to the staff at Colindale. Redundancy will only be considered as a last resort.
The British Library receives a free copy of every issue of UK newspapers and magazines through Legal Deposit bringing in 13,000 issues every month. Colindale possesses hard copy and microfilmed newspapers amounting to more than 52,000 titles dating back to 1513 - the very first news account ever printed in Britain. This has brought increasing pressure on space and the facilities at Colindale are reaching optimum levels.
For further information please contact: Lawrence Christensen telephone +44 (0)20 7412 7114, email: lawrence.christensen@bl.uk
Notes to Editors
- The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. It provides world class information services to the academic, business, research and scientific communities and offers unparalleled access to the world's largest and most comprehensive research collection. The British Library's collections include 150 million items from every era of written human history beginning with Chinese oracle bones dating from 300 BC, right up to the latest e-journals. Further information is available on the Library's website at www.bl.uk
- For further information concerning preserving the national newspaper collection please visit: http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/features/frontpage/save.html