Transforming our Boston Spa site

We're revolutionising how we store and share the stories in our archives in West Yorkshire so that millions more people can find inspiration from our collection, and solutions to the challenges we face ahead.

With new, state-of-the-art public spaces and programmes, and sustainable, cutting-edge storage facilities for our ever-expanding collection to grow, we'll continue to fuel the imaginations of future generations for decades to come.

Find out about our plans and why we're doing this.

Why we're doing this

Why we're doing this

We're running out of space. Our 44-acre Boston Spa campus is home to over three-quarters of our collection of over 170 million items.

This growing collection requires about 8 linear km of new shelving annually. By the end of this decade our storage facilities will be full. We need to significantly increase our capacity to care for the UK's collection for future generations.
But we also need to revolutionise how we store and share the stories in our archives, evolving to meet the demands of a national library today.

To address this we're constructing a new state-of-the-art storage facility – and we're also using this opportunity to significantly reduce our environmental impact.

This upgrade to our vital archives will power our plans to create a new, world-class site in Leeds city centre and transform our existing building in St Pancras, so millions more people can use our collection, expertise and services to ignite their imaginations.

This £95 million redevelopment has been made possible thanks to significant government investment through DCMS.

Thanks additionally to funding from The Foyle Foundation, this project will transform public engagement at Boston Spa, enabling us to open up our collection to more people with the introduction of a public viewing gallery (Foyle Viewing Gallery) and learning spaces (Foyle Learning Centre).

The difference we'll make, for everyone

Researchers – to keep sparking new ideas we need to create space for them, so we'll build new storage space which will ensure our collection can continue to grow and help thousands of future researchers find solutions to the global issues we face.

Schools – we'll inspire the next generation of knowledge seekers from schools across Yorkshire and beyond with a new learning programme and a bespoke learning centre. We'll host workshops which will develop their research, digital, writing and information and media literacy skills, and enable them to explore our history.

Learners of all ages – with a new viewing gallery, tours and open days, we'll shine a light on the centuries of knowledge that this living collection holds, and provide visitors with the chance to discover how 21st-century robotic technology powers each new journey of discovery.

Local community – we'll welcome local people in to see what goes on behind the scenes of the national library on their doorstep. And we'll breathe new life into this former Second World War munitions factory, improving our impact on the local environment through new energy-saving measures, and increasing biodiversity by up to 40%.

How we will do this

How we will do this

This transformation project will play a significant role in delivering our sustainability strategy – a key priority in our Knowledge Matters vision (PDF, 2.8mb). By making this development low carbon, with an emphasis on renewable energy and energy conservation, we're aiming to meet the target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Working with a team of specialist partners including architect Carmody Groarke, landscape designers J&L Gibbons, mechanical and electrical engineers Buro Happold and structural engineers Price and Myers, the development includes:

construction of a new generation high-density, low-energy, airtight, automated storage building with 225 linear km storage capacity
infrastructure and fabric upgrades to our seven-storey Urquhart Building, maintaining suitable storage capacity for 120km of our collections long into the future
removal of outdated and environmentally inefficient buildings
landscaping of the surrounding site, making the most of the natural environment and enhancing local biodiversity
a new, publicly accessible viewing gallery and spaces for learning.

We have already made energy-saving improvements to the site, including the installation of 730 solar panels, a new ground source heat pump system, smart meters and better insulation.

More information

When will this happen?

Work to date
Since our planning application to Leeds City Council was approved in 2021, we've completed demolition and enabling works, staff have been relocated onsite and some of our collection has been temporarily removed in order to ensure it is protected. Construction of our new storage facility has also begun.

2026 onwards
In early 2026 we will complete the construction of the storage facility, followed by an internal fit-out. We plan to open our new storage facilities by mid-2026.

How will this work affect me?

You may notice some changes while we redevelop the site to create more storage capacity. As with any construction project there will be unavoidable periods of noise and disruption. Keep an eye on our social media channels and signs onsite for alerts about particularly disruptive works.

We plan to keep the Reading Room at Boston Spa open while we make these improvements, but access to some sections of our collection may be disrupted as we move millions of items around the site to make way for the new storage facilities. If you're a Reader, please check our website before you visit in case of any changes. We'll also email you with any updates.

For all media enquiries please contact us at press@bl.uk.