ONE million books from Manchester's Central Library – including valuable volumes dating back to the 15th century - are to be put into temporarily storage with many going deep underground in the Cheshire salt mines.

Works from the city's reference library will be stored in the mines, hundreds of feet below ground, for the next three years while the landmark city centre site undergoes a massive refurbishment to save it from ruin.

Experts say the mine's caverns – the size of 700 football pitches - provide the perfect environment for preserving the manuscripts, which include the works of eminent academics.

A phased shut down of the St Peter's Square library will begin next month, with the site closing its doors in June. The Library Theatre, which will most likely relocate to the historic Theatre Royal, will close the following month with a celebratory show entitled Last Night at the Library.

A temporary city library will open in Elliot House, on Deansgate, where staff will also be able to arrange access to some rare reference works that are not available elsewhere in the country. All others will be stored in the salt mines from where they will be digitally catalogued but inaccessible for the duration of the refurbishment.

[link to menmedia.co.uk]