Planning and implementing an automated storage and retrieval system at the University of Limerick

The case study introduces the automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) implemented in the new library at the University of Limerick (UL), Ireland. A quarter of the Library’s print collections were moved into this robotic system that has a capacity of 500,000 books and takes up oneninth of the space of conventional shelving. This is the first on-site automated storage system located within a university library in Europe. The technology provides an opportunity for a radical and game-changing shift away from providing space for collections to providing new and innovative learning spaces for library users. The case study outlines the drivers that influenced the decision to include an ASRS in the building, and describes and reflects on the significant change management challenges of implementing a complex storage solution that affected all staff and had a transformative impact on library services.