When the library was refurbished during the Summer of 2015, as part of the Dyson Centre Project, it was necessary to create a temporary home for the library's collection while construction work took place. An on-site location was preferred to allow on-going access to the collection during the works, and it was recognised that, in the longer term, the facility could be used to provide the Department with some general archive space.
As such, in May 2015, the Basement Archives were created in the basement of the Baker Building. A group of four rooms, previously used as general storage and project space, was reconfigured to create two archive spaces, and mobile shelving and storage systems were installed.
One of the rooms has now become a permanent home for some of the library's collection; while the other has become a general archive space, housing among other things, the Department's vast collection of Operation and Maintenance manuals, for all past building projects.