Changes to collections

The existence of various collections and locations on Level F of the Hugh Owen Library can cause confusion to many readers when they are searching for books and periodicals. What causes the most confusion is the difference between ‘ordinary’ and quarto sized books as many users don’t know what the three letters ‘Qto’ after some class numbers mean.

Because of this we intend doing away with separate quarto sequences and interfiling the books in the main body of the collections, thereby creating one easy to understand and negotiate sequence. This arrangement has already been adopted in the Thomas Parry Library and is working well.

This means that we will have to reset every shelf on Level F and reducing the number of shelves in each bay from seven to six. This will reduce the number of shelves on Level F which in turn will reduce the number of books we can keep there. As a first step, and to avoid conducting a wholesale weeding exercise, we intend moving the Celtic Collection in its entirety to the Group Study Room (the former Law Library) on Level E. As part of this move we will be interfiling the Celtic quarto books with the rest of the Collection, but apart from this its contents will remain exactly the same as it is now. This work will begin within the coming days. This may not be a permanent location for the Celtic Collection as there are plans to refurbish this room when future funding allows.

We apologise for any noise and inconvenience that may be caused during these moves, and in order to keep disruption to a minimum we will limit work to a few hours at the beginning of each day during term time.