Moving a library or archive is more than just shifting books—it's about preserving history and ensuring every item arrives intact and in order.
At Bishop’s Move, we specialise in relocating entire collections with precision and care, from rare manuscripts to national archives, with clients such as the RHS, Royal Academy of Arts and University of Surrey. We ensure every item is tracked and reshelved exactly as it was.
Call us on 03300 585100 to start planning your library relocation today!
Bishop's Move's Business Relocation department has teams of experts on hand to professionally pack and handle your library collection, including general items or more specialist collections, precious artefacts and rare items. They are skilled in wrapping and packing, using archive techniques (if required), carefully handling and moving books as well as the ensuring the safe transportation of rare items, even building bespoke crates for their added security.
Our teams use sequential moving techniques and can happily merge and separate book collections. They can also dismantle library shelving or racking if so requested. Plus we can responsibly and environmentally dispose of any unwanted books, furniture or resources through our network of charitable partners.
Our longstanding experience in library and archive relocation allows libraries across the UK, from all sectors, to entrust Bishop's Move with their collections.
Bishop's Move undertakes a site visit for each and every project that our business relocation team is involved with, sot that every aspect of your library move can be discussed and understood. We then meticulously plan your library move, scheduling in the work in phases if a larger project. This allows us to ensure we have the right team on site at the right time with all the correct boxes, crates, equipment and wrapping materials so that every item is properly cared for.
Your dedicated Move Manager will support you throughout your move, helping with risk assessment, removals insurance and timescales.
Dependent on the size of your library, and how many stakeholders are involved (such as the public or students) the move may take a couple of days or few weeks to complete. Not matter how long it takes, you can relax in the knowledge that our experts will work co-operatively with other contractors on site and ensure that your project keeps on schedule.
Each library relocation is as unique as its collection and detailed planning is the key to it being completed successfully and on time.
Bishop's Move were contracted to relocate the nationally and globally important collections from the Garden Library at RHS Wisley to the newly built, state-of-the-art research facility RHS Hilltop - the Home of Gardening Science.
This particular relocation was undertaken in phases, during covid, and involved moving over 21,000 books from both RHS Wisley and Kew Garden, plus over 20,000 nursery catalogues. There was also the historic Herbarium to relocate with over 90,000 mounted specimens and a further 40,000 awaiting curation, with the oldest specimen dating back to 1731. These required additional storing and moving at strict temperature controlled levels. 35,000 photographic slides and 3,500 botanical paintings also needed moving to their new location.
Our dedicated Business Relocation teams have been on site providing professional porterage and move management services for this carefully orchestrated library relocation. The planning phase was particularly important as extra safety procedures had to be put in place due to the start of the pandemic, social distancing and lockdowns.
Bishop's Move were appointed to complete the sequential packing and movement of 500 linear metres of materials whilst the University of Surrey completed its multi-phased refurbishment of its library in the George Edward Building. The collection of books and archives were securely stored at our our local storage facility, whilst old shelving was removed and new shelving installed to increase capacity.
For phase 2 of the refurbishment, we were asked to complete the sequential packing and movement of 2750 linear metres of materials to our local storage facility. The move also included the internal relocation of 3400 linear metres of material to new locations within the library and 200 metres to a store on campus. At a later date, a further porterage team was deployed to assist in the movement of library furniture and equipment and dispose/recycle of unwanted furniture due to be replaced.
This phase of the move move involved a team of 26 staff each day with 3 vehicles, all supervised and co-ordinated by our on-site Move Manager to ensure that it was successfully completed within 10 days.
Our library and archive relocation services include:
Reasons for choosing Bishop's Move:
Contact us to start planning your library move
Email : business@bishopsmove.com
Tel : 03300 585100
Our Removals Network
Bishop’s Move has a huge removals network across the UK, with over 20 different branches. These branches work together to make sure that if you are relocating your library collection to another location in the UK we can still provide the same level of service.
