Library and Archive Relocation Services

From a single reading room to nearly 6km of shelving, moved in phases and finished on time.

Moving since 1854, Bishop’s Move is a founding member of the British Association of Removers and is certified to BS 8522 for commercial moves.

We move libraries in sequence, shelf by shelf, so your collection reopens with every item where your readers expect to find it. Every library move is planned by a dedicated Move Manager, with phased scheduling that keeps disruption to a minimum and secure storage for anything not going straight to the new site. From university libraries to special collections and archives, we support library clients across the UK, including the University of Surrey and the RHS.

Call 03300 585100, or tell us roughly what you are moving and by when.

Talk to the Experts

Keeping Your Collection in Order

A library move goes wrong when one run of shelves arrives out of sequence, and a reader can’t find a book that was there last week. Our library teams pack in sequence, section by section, and reshelve in the same order at the other end, whether you classify by Dewey Decimal or Library of Congress.

Every library move has a dedicated Move Manager. They visit both sites, carry out the risk assessment and build a phased schedule with your team, including where each range of shelving will sit in the new building. If other contractors are on site, your Move Manager works around them. With over 20 branches across the UK, we provide the same level of service wherever your library is moving.

Moving a Library That Stays Open

Most libraries can’t close for a month. At the University of Surrey, the library was refurbished around its readers. In 2016, we packed 500 linear metres of material into our own storage while new shelving went in over the summer.

In 2017, the job grew. Over two weeks in June, we packed 2.5km of material for off-site storage and moved another 3.4km within the building at the same time. After the 12-week building programme, we brought everything back while the new shelving was still being installed, delivering up to 625 linear metres a day so other contractors weren’t held up, and finished on time and within budget.

“Good planning and communication ensures the move itself is the easy part,” says Stuart Philp, our Business Relocation Director. While material sits in our storage, our retrieval service brings back specific items your readers need. Read how we kept University of Surrey library users undisturbed.

Rare Books, Special Collections and Archives

Between December 2020 and January 2021, we moved the RHS Garden Library at Wisley to its new home at RHS Hilltop, the Home of Gardening Science. The move included books, documents, pamphlets, plans, catalogues, maps and research material, and the new library now holds more than 21,000 books and 20,000 nursery catalogues. We planned it with site visits beforehand, worked to pandemic safety procedures throughout and finished the move in snow. Read the full RHS Wisley library case study.

Fragile and rare items get archive-safe packing, and we build custom crates for anything a standard crate won’t protect. Our heritage work goes back a long way: in 1935, we delivered more than 800 works to the Royal Academy of Arts for the International Exhibition of Chinese Art.

Shelving, Furniture, Storage and Disposal

We dismantle and reinstall shelving and racking, move library furniture and equipment, and hold anything that isn’t going straight to the new site in our secure, climate-controlled business storage. Books, furniture and equipment you no longer need can go to our charity partners for reuse.

Accreditations and Procurement Frameworks

We are a founding member of the British Association of Removers and a member of its Commercial Moving Group, which only recognises removal companies certified to BS 8522, the Commercial Moving Standard. We hold ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001, plus ISO 27001 for information security, which matters when an archive holds personal or confidential records. Every move is also covered by comprehensive removals insurance. The full list is on our accreditations page.

Universities can appoint us through the UK Universities Procurement Consortium (UKUPC), or through APUC in Scotland. Schools, councils and public bodies can use YPO or ESPO. Our frameworks page explains how.

See Our Expertise in Action: Library & Archive Relocation Case Studies

Explore our case studies to see how we’ve successfully managed complex library and archive relocations. Each project highlights our commitment to precision, security, and tailored solutions, ensuring a smooth transition for institutions of all sizes. Discover why libraries and archives nationwide trust us with their valuable collections.

Case Studies

Historic library relocation at RHS Wisley

10 Feb 2021

Case Studies

Ensuring University of Surrey library users are not disturbed

19 Jan 2018

Get a Free Quote

Questions from Librarians and Estates Teams

Tell Us About Your Collection

A short call and a site visit get you an accurate quote. It helps if you can tell us:

Roughly how many linear metres are moving, and how much of it is special collections
How the collection is classified, and whether the order changes at the new site
Whether the library needs to stay open during the move
Access at both ends: lifts, loading bays, stairs and parking
Your dates, and whether material needs storing between phases
Which shelving and furniture are moving, and what goes for disposal

An estimate is enough to start, and we’ll confirm the figures on the site visit. Call our Business Removals team on 03300 585100 or use the enquiry form.

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