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Buildings
The summer of 2005 seemed dominated by building works in our libraries. Staff worked around the inconvenience and helped our users continue to get the best out of our services.
The two small libraries at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital at Stanmore were finally merged into light and airy newly refurbished accommodation. The storage facility at Wickford in Essex was doubled in size with the fitting out of a second adjacent warehouse. The UCL Human Communication Sciences library was redecorated and planning began for its temporary exile for 2006/7. With the closure of the Middlesex Hospital the Boldero Library was closed and staff and stock merged with the UCL Cruciform Library. An illustrated history of the libraries at the Middlesex and UCH hospitals medical schools was produced by staff.
The UCL SSEES Library and Information Services, after a considerable
planning period, moved in the summer of 2005 out of Senate House to its
stunning new accommodation. Despite several hurdles, including the roads
being closed following the July 7th bombs, staff were successful in
opening the library to users on the agreed date. Already the recipient
of a RIBA award, the library is a great addition to the UCL family of
libraries. The whole SSEES building was opened by the Princess Royal on
19th October.
Last to finish, but by no means least, the beautiful new staircase entrance and the remodelling of the Reader Services areas in the UCL Main Library signalled the start of a proposed refurbishment of both the Main and Science Libraries. As the reporting year ended, the Library was delighted to hear that Wolfson Foundation funding had been granted to continue the work in the Main Library. Continued refurbishment of Library buildings is now part of UCL's Corporate Plan for 2006-12.
Half way up the cantilevered staircase is a new display case in which library materials can at last be displayed in their rightful splendour.
Mocatta Collection
During the summer a party was held to celebrate the centenary of the receipt of the Mocatta Collection, the foundation of UCL's substantial Hebrew and Jewish collections. A display was mounted on the UCL Main Library staircase to show UCL's links with the Anglo-Jewish community in its 350th anniversary year. Several current members of the Mocatta family attended.
