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Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê Library's new staircase, exhibition space and public services facilities were formally opened in January 2006.

The event marked the completion of the first stage of a major redevelopment of the central Wilkins Library.

Professor Malcolm Grant, President and Provost of Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê, said that the library had been at the heart of William Wilkins' original 1825 design for Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê, and that the library had been at the heart of the institution since its opening in 1828. The new staircase, he said, had been "designed and executed to a superb standard".

Dr Paul Ayris, Director of Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê Library Services, highlighted the new cluster room and the exhibition space, which showcases a small selection of about 100,000 items held in Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê Library Special Collections, most of which have been acquired through donations.

The exhibition space was made possible by the generosity of alumni and friends giving through Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê Futures.

A special guest at the event was John Sutherland, Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê Emeritus Lord Northcliffe Professor of Modern English Literature, who wrote about the refurbishment in the 'Times Higher Education Supplement'.

To find out more about Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê Library Services or to read Professor Sutherland's article, use the links at the top of this article.

Image: The opening event in the Flaxman Gallery

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• Links:
• Professor Sutherland's article