The St Pancras site of the British Library is home to national treasures such as the Magna Carta.
The site’s two entrance and exit gates are secured 24-7 with a team of three officers during the day and one officer at night. Commenting on the contract guarding, Chris Lawrence, Security Services Manager at the British Library said: “Our external security has always been contracted out and it came up for review earlier this year. First Security submitted a very well presented and impressive tender document and after a competitive tender process involving four other companies, we awarded the contract to First. First Security fitted our criteria and could do all the things that we asked for but our decision was largely based on what First offers its officers, especially in terms of its comprehensive training.” By day the security officers are responsible for managing access control through the two gates and carrying out vehicle searches. Once the library closes and the gates are shut in the evening, the night shift officer patrols the external perimeter. The Library has other sites in London – its newspapers archive is in Colindale and there are buildings at Micawber Street and Woolwich. The London-based guarding firm provides a keyholding service for some of these sites and occasionally provides additional security officers if required.
What they say
Jonathan Levine, First Security Managing Director said: “First provided security officers back in 1998 when the British Library moved to its new site at St Pancras and so we are pleased to be working with them again. This contract further demonstrates our ability to offer flexible and bespoke services to our clients. We are delighted to be playing a part in the security of such a prestigious site and helping to protect some of the nation?s most significant historical documents and rare and valuable material.”
About the British Library
The national library of the UK, it houses intellectual, scientific and cultural heritage, making it accessible to researchers, academics, students, business and industry in the UK and worldwide. As well as the Magna Carta, some of the treasures include Leonardo da Vinci?s notebook, Beatles manuscripts and the first edition of The Times from 1788. The Library receives a copy of every publication produced in the UK and Ireland and the collection includes 150 million items; maps, newspapers, magazines, prints and drawings, photographs, postage stamp collections, sound recordings, music scores and patents. The St Pancras building was formally opened in 1998 and was the largest public building to be constructed in the UK during the 20th century. It has a total floor area of over 112,000 square feet, spread over 14 floors.
