Sir – I can assure the previous correspondents on the topic of the Bodleian book storage facility that the University looked carefully at sites in Oxford.

We searched for a site where we would have a freehold, where a building exceeding 12 metres in height would be acceptable, which had existing permission for a B8 warehouse, was not located in a flood zone, and could be purchased immediately.

It would have been attractive to house the collections close to our reading rooms, but once the Osney application had been refused we rethought our strategy to meet the new circumstances.

Our situation is urgent, with costs from delay mounting, as we are required to use commercial storage and inefficiencies resulting from a highly fragmented stock.

When we are able to consolidate our dispersed collections from Nuneham, Cheshire, and elsewhere, into the new energy-efficient storage in Swindon, our carbon footprint in terms of miles driven will drop by two-thirds. We are also hoping to drive environmentally-friendly vans.

More importantly, the Bodleian will be able to make several improvements in the energy efficiency of its estate by undertaking the renovation of the New Bodleian and the consolidation of several faculty libraries into the new Humanities Library on the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter site.

These two projects, which hinge on the availability of a book storage facility, will also create jobs in Oxford. New approaches in the management of our collections will enable us to meet a higher proportion of reader requests through direct access to books on open shelves and electronic delivery.

We will temporarily rehouse rare books in the Radcliffe Science Library, rather than move them to the book storage facility during the renovation.

We have changed our strategies, and are actively working on solutions that will have positive outcomes for our readers and a beneficial impact for Oxford.

Dr Sarah Thomas, Bodley’s Librarian