News and Events

BU Library awarded design ‘Oscar’

5 December 2007

The Sir Michael Cobham Library and Learning Centre

Our landmark Library and Learning Centre has won a major national award.

The Sir Michael Cobham Library on our Talbot Campus has received the Library Design Award from the Society of College, National and University Libraries (SCONUL).

Considered the ‘Oscar’ of library design, the SCONUL award – for best large university library in the UK – is presented only once every five years.

The award recognises the best new or refurbished higher education libraries in national and university institutions.

Librarian David Ball, Deputy Librarian Jill Beard and Paul Moisan of W M Saunders Architects received the award at a SCONUL conference in London. We came top over 18 other candidates, including representatives from Glasgow, London and the Open University, for this major award.

Our five-storey octagonal Library occupies a landmark position at the heart of our Talbot Campus. The building, designed by Saunders, officially opened in January 2003.

The SCONUL judging panel praised the adaptability of the study and social spaces available, modelled around a central service core.

Always innovative in embracing technology, the Library is recognised as a leader in the provision of electronic information and its integration into the fast-growing virtual learning environment. It's now also exploiting the possibilities of Web 2.0 technologies in support of students and researchers.

The Library's other innovative features include:

Spaces for group and social learning in a variety of informal clusters
Natural ‘zoning’ with areas for quiet study, learning support, online research and use of special collections
PCs with low-energy flat screens
A wind tower ventilation system with energy-saving boilers
Full wireless network for students to use laptops without restricting study space.

Floodlit at night, with a fibre-optic sculpture at the pinnacle of the building, the Library is a striking addition to the local landscape which clearly emphasises our position as a beacon of scholarship in the community.

Celebrations during the summer of 2007 marked 50 years of achievement since our library service was first established in 1957 as part of the former Bournemouth Municipal College.

The Library was renamed to honour the memory of Sir Michael Cobham, a significant contributor to the success of BU. Sir Michael received an Honorary Doctorate from BU following a distinguished career with Cobham plc, the aerospace company founded by his father, Sir Alan Cobham.

Library Celebrates 50 Years of Achievement