The Library now

The current state of the Library

After more than 160 years the Library urgently needs improvement not only to maintain the beautiful building designed by Gilbert Scott but also to provide current and future students with a study and learning space that is fit for the 21st century.

There are a number of issues with the building that need addressing. For example, the external stone work is disintegrating and the roof leaks, the heating is inadequate and the wiring is too frail to allow students to use the laptops on which they make notes, write essays and access information from outside the Library. Furthermore, the ventilation is poor and the temperature control is nonexistent, which makes the Library uncomfortable during anything but the most clement weather – and that is rare in Oxford! Alongside these technical and structural issues the workspace for readers and librarians alike has been uncomfortable and cramped for some time.