Andrew Porter relocates 4m books

Specialist commercial removals firm Andrew Porter has completed the relocation of more than 4m books back to the newly-refurbished Liverpool Central Library & Archive.

The Grade II listed building on William Brown Street reopened this month, after a £50m upgrade.

Andrew Porter, based in Adlington, Chorley, was responsible for relocating its entire collection from various storage locations across the North West, including a 150m-deep salt mine in Cheshire.

The collection comprised some of the world’s rarest and most valuable books, including Audubon’s Birds of America, which is housed in a dedicated display case in the newly refurbished library, and is worth an estimated £8.5m.

More than 21 crew members per day helped to pack and relocate the library stock using carefully selected methods, including the use of export wrap, acid free tissue, bespoke boxes, cages and removal crates which were packed to minimise the movement of the books inside during transit.

Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, said: “Central Library is without doubt one of the most significant and celebrated buildings in Liverpool and its restoration is more than just bringing a venue back into use – it’s investing in the heritage of the city.

“The redevelopment has taken a number of years – from the idea and conception through to the detailed planning, the intricate restoration and finally returning around four million items from books to treasured archives to their home."

Tim Aspey, Andrew Porter managing director, said: "This was a fantastic job to work on at such a major institution. We are delighted that our client is so pleased with the result of our hard work and planning.”