The British Library is reported to be considering a new branch in Leeds alongside major improvements to its Boston Spa campus in Yorkshire, home to the UK’s historical newspapers collection.
The British Library North plans would coincide with the Library’s 50th anniversary and Leeds’ year of cultural celebration in 2023, according to national news reports.
The British Library is the custodian of one of the largest cultural heritage collections in the world, with 8km of physical items and 150Tb of digital items for long-term preservation being added every year. An announcement about the Boston Spa Renewed project at https://www.bl.uk/projects/bl-north says many of the site’s buildings were built during World War II and ‘have been used well beyond their intended lifetime and the conditions they provide for the national print collection will become increasingly inadequate’.
The renewal project would see the site, which is near Wetherby, expand to meet the challenges of the 21st century and establish ‘a vision of a national centre of excellence in digital and print collection management, large-scale and bespoke digitisation, and high quality skills and training provision’.
The Boston Spa upgrade will also provide access to new audiences and increase the economic value delivered by the British Library beyond London.