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Why have the books been removed from the Library at Trinity College Dublin?

A view of an art installation of Earth in the Old Library at Trinity College Dublin

A view of Gaia, an illuminated sculpture of Earth, now on display at the Old Library.

A woman with brown shoulder length hair and a beige blazer with an old stone wall behind her.

Visitor Services Manager at the Old Library

4 min read • 6 August 2024

The Old Library’s collections, spanning millennia, have been in our care for over 400 years. The Library now faces conservation challenges from pollution and dust accumulation.

There is also an urgent need to improve fire protection and environmental controls. This once-in-a-lifetime event is called the Old Library Redevelopment Project.

The project is applying 21st century design and technology safeguards to protect the Old Library’s precious collections for future generations.

As part of this, the majority of the books have been temporarily removed from the Old Library’s shelves. One by one, each book has been cleaned with a specialised vacuum, measured, electronically tagged and linked to a catalogue record, before being safely relocated to a climate-controlled storage facility.

Once the redevelopment project has been completed, the collections will be returned to the Library shelves.

In this blog, I will share behind the scenes knowledge on the redevelopment of the Old Library, with an outline on everything you can now see on a visit to the Book of Kells Experience.

Why is the Old Library at Trinity College Dublin being redeveloped?

An assistant moves a book on to a trolley at the Old Library.

The Old Library was built between 1712 and 1732, and has been in operation for almost 300 years. It is one of the world’s greatest working libraries, with special importance in Ireland’s academic and cultural life.

The Long Room shelves house over 200,000 books spanning millennia, while the Old Library’s extended collection includes 700,000 items, such as ancient manuscripts, books, pamphlets, and archival papers.

The Old Library Redevelopment Project will use modern design and technology to protect the Old Library building and conserve these precious collections.

Listen to an audio guide track on the Old Library Redevelopment Project here:

What is a decant?

As part of the Old Library Redevelopment Project, the majority of the Old Library’s collections have been ‘decanted’, which means they have been carefully removed from the building.

There are 5 key stages to the decant:

Removing: Each book is carefully removed from the shelf.
Cleaning: Books are cleaned with a specialised vacuum brush with HEPA filtered vacuum cleaner.
Measuring: Each book is carefully measured.
Tagging: RFID tags are added to each book for electronic tagging and linked to a digital catalogue record.
Boxing: Books are safely packed in eco-friendly materials and relocated to a climate-controlled storage facility.

Listen to an audio guide track on the decant here:

Learn about the 5 stages of the decant process:

Removing

Cleaning

Measuring

RFID Tagging

Boxing

What can visitors see during the Old Library Redevelopment Project?

The Book of Kells in the Treasury room at the Old Library.

The Long Room at the Old Library.

Gaia in the Long Room at the Old Library.

The Brian Boru Harp in the Long Room at the Old Library.

Ada Lovelace, by Maudie Brady, one of 4 female sculptures in the Long Room.

A screen showing the decant process in the Long Room.

The Red Pavilion features a series of immersive digital spaces. It is located just beyond the Old Library.

Secret Life of the Collections at the Red Pavilion

The Book of Kells 360 at the Red Pavilion.

The Long Room Reimagined at the Red Pavilion.

A visit to the Old Library is truly one of the most unique things to experience in Dublin. Access to the Old Library is included in tickets to the Book of Kells Experience.

Visitor highlights include:

The Book of Kells: Housed in a climate controlled case, in the Old Library, visitors can view the 1,200 year old manuscript and the pages currently on display.
The Long Room: The Long Room library chamber is one of the most photographed rooms in Ireland with its stunning barrel vaulted ceiling.
Gaia: A world first for Dublin. Gaia by Luke Jerram, the spectacular illuminated sculpture of Earth, is on display at the Old Library.
Brian Boru harp: Ireland’s oldest surviving harp and the national symbol of Ireland, you’ll recognise it from Irish flags, euro coins, official documents, and as the emblem for Guinness – look closely to see the intricate carvings etched into the wood.
Female Sculptures: The Long Room is lined with sculptures of notable figures who have made significant contributions to both academia and the world. Be sure to get a close up look at four new sculptures of trailblazing women that have been added to the collection – Rosalind Franklin, Mary Wollstonecraft, Augusta Gregory, and Ada Lovelace.
The decant: The shelves in the Long Room have not been seen without books for hundreds of years. Seeing them in their current form is a unique historical moment. On your visit you will learn about the careful decant process behind removing precious collections from the library chamber.
Remaining books: Approximately 20,000 books remain intact in the first 4 bays of the Long Room, allowing you to see the before and after effect of the decant.
The Red Pavilion: A new building located just a couple of minute’s walk from the Old Library features a series of immersive digital spaces that bring the Book of Kells and the Old Library collections to life like never before. You’ll also find the new Gift Shop here.
Secret life of the collections: Be enchanted by the stories and artifacts of the Old Library coming to life before your eyes.
The Book of Kells 360: A spectacular 360 journey in light and sound through the ancient masterpiece’s history.
The Long Room reimagined: An awe-inspiring digital reconstruction of the Long Room, which takes you on a journey through the Old Library’s precious collections, the past, present and future through stunning projections.

Take a journey through the the Book of Kells Experience

FAQs

The books have been temporarily removed from the Old Library as part of a major restoration and conservation project, the Old Library Redevelopment Project.

As part of the Old Library Redevelopment Project, a historic landmark conservation project, the majority of the books in the Long Room have been temporarily removed. The Old Library remains open to visitors during this time, and the Book of Kells is on display.

The Old Library’s precious collections, spanning millennia, have been in our care for over 400 years. The Library now faces conservation challenges with pollution and dust accumulation taking their toll, and an urgent need to improve fire protection and environmental controls.

This once in a lifetime event is called the Old Library Redevelopment Project.

The Old Library Redevelopment Project draws on the best 21st century design and technology to safeguard the 18th century building and conserve its precious collections for future generations.

The Old Library remains open to visitors during this time, and the Book of Kells remains on display.

The Book of Kells will remain on display to visitors throughout the Old Library Redevelopment Project.

The Old Library remains open to visitors during this time.

The Old Library remains open to visitors during this time, and the Book of Kells is on display, alongside an exciting new exhibition in New Square: the Book of Kells Experience.

Yes, the collections can be accessed online through the Virtual Trinity Library