Oxford and the Bodleian Library

MONDAY, JUNE 30 the LIS class ventured to the city and University of Oxford via a two hour coach ride to visit the Bodleian Library and Christ Church. The Bodleian is the oldest English-speaking library in existence (I think the oldest library in existence is an Italian one...). The Bodleian opened in 1602 with the financial assistance of Sir Thomas Bodley and a donation of 2,500 books. Thomas James was appointed as the first librarian when the library opened in November of 1602. The library incorporates an early library started at Oxford by Humfrey, Duke of Gloucester, opened in the 1400s.

After some independent sightseeing, we were divided into two groups and led through the library by volunteer tour guides. One of the most interesting things I learned was about "chained books" - according to the guide, chaining the books to the shelves was how the librarian ensured that the books didn't leave the library. And, sorry to disappoint you Harry Potter fans, but the way books are chained in the HP movies is incorrect... Books were always chained on the front cover rather than the spine in order to protect the integrity of the spine, stitches and pages in the book. Chaining books was expensive (but a great source of income for the blacksmith!) and to save costs, they would lock a majority of books in the upper galleries and restrict access to the gallery itself, rather than each individual book. Galleries were also used to protect the books from damage or dampness by getting them off the floor. 

Books weren't always stored upright like we see them in libraries and bookstores today. For one, the chaining of books made upright storage impossible. Chained books were stored with spines (and hence, titles) against the bottom of the shelves. As chained books gave way to galleries, etc. it was discovered that the library had more room for books if they were stored upright.

Today, the Bodleian is still in use. Students at Oxford have a "reader's card" and can use the books in one of the reading rooms. Many books are stored offsite, but with a fulfillment system similar to Amazon's, it takes less than one minute to retrieve a book and then it is sent over to the library, which is 30 minutes away. In the 1930s, before storage moved offsite, a system similar to the tubes used in bank drive-thrus was introduced for readers to request books. 

Students must take an oath to be granted the privilege of using the library. This oath dates back to the library's beginnings. The oath, originally in Latin, is translated as follows:  "I hereby undertake not to remove from the Library, or to mark, deface, or injure in any way, any volume, document, or other object belonging to it or in its custody; not to bring into the Library or kindle therein any fire or flame, and not to smoke in the Library; and I promise to obey all rules of the Library."