Everything about the Bodleian Library totally explained
The
Bodleian Library, the main
research library of the
University of Oxford, is one of the oldest
libraries in
Europe, and in
England is second in size only to the
British Library. Known to Oxford scholars as “Bodley” or simply “the Bod”. Under the
Legal Deposit Libraries Act 2003 it's one of six
legal deposit libraries for works published in the United Kingdom and under Irish Law it's entitled to request a copy of each book published in the
Republic of Ireland.
Early history
Whilst the Bodleian Library, in its current incarnation, has a continuous history dating back to
1602, its roots date back even further. The first purpose-built library known to have existed in Oxford was founded in the fourteenth century by
Thomas Cobham,
Bishop of Worcester. This small collection of
chained books was situated above the north side of the
University Church of St Mary the Virgin on the High Street. This collection continued to grow steadily, but when, between 1435 and 1437
Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester (brother of
Henry V of England), donated a great collection of manuscripts, the space was deemed insufficient and a larger building was required. A suitable room was finally built above the
Divinity School, and completed in
1489. This room continues to be known as Duke Humfrey’s Library.
Sir Thomas Bodley and the re-founding of the University Library
The late sixteenth century saw the library go through a period of decline (to the extent that the library’s furniture was sold, and only three of the original books belonging to Duke Humfrey remained in the collection). It wasn't until 1598 that the library began to thrive once more, when
Thomas Bodley (a former fellow of
Merton College) wrote to the Vice Chancellor of the University offering to support the development of the library: "where there hath bin hertofore a publike library in Oxford: which you know is apparent by the rome it self remayning, and by your statute records I'll take the charge and cost upon me, to reduce it again to his former use." Duke Humfrey’s Library was refitted, and Bodley donated a number of his own books to furnish it. The library was formally re-opened on
8 November 1602 under the name “Bodleian Library” (officially Bodley's Library).
Bodley’s collecting interests were varied; according to the historian Ian Philip, as early as June 1603 he was attempting to source manuscripts from Turkey, and it was during “the same year that the first Chinese book was acquired.” In
1610, Bodley made an agreement with the
Stationers' Company in London to put a copy of every book registered with them in the library. The Bodleian collection grew so fast that the building was expanded between 1610–1612, (known as the Arts End) and again in 1634–1637. When
John Selden died in 1654, he left the Bodleian his large collection of books and manuscripts. The later addition to Duke Humfrey’s Library continues to be known as the "Selden End".
The Schools Quadrangle and Tower of the Five Orders
By the time of Bodley’s death in 1612, further expansion to the library was being planned. The Schools Quadrangle (sometimes referred to as the "Old Schools Quadrangle", or the "Old Library") was built between 1613 and 1619. Its tower forms the main entrance to the library, and is known as the
Tower of the Five Orders. The Tower is so named because it's ornamented, in ascending order, with the columns of each of the five orders of
classical architecture:
Doric,
Tuscan,
Ionic,
Corinthian and
Composite.
The astronomer
Thomas Hornsby observed the
transit of Venus from this tower in
1769.
The rooms on the ground and upper floor of the quadrangle (excluding Duke Humfrey’s library, above the Divinity School) were originally used as lecture space. Their function is still indicated by the inscriptions over the doors. As the library’s collections expanded, these rooms were gradually taken over. One of the schools is now used to host exhibitions of the library’s treasures, whilst the others are used as offices and meeting rooms for the library administrators.
The Radcliffe Camera
By the late eighteenth century, further growth of the library demanded more expansion space. In 1860, the library was allowed to take over the adjacent building, known as the
Radcliffe Camera. In
1861, the library’s medical and scientific collections were transferred to the Radcliffe Science Library, which had been built adjacent to the
University Museum.
The Clarendon Building
The
Clarendon Building was designed by
Nicholas Hawksmoor and was built between
1711 and
1715, originally to house the printing presses of the
Oxford University Press. It was vacated by the Press in the early nineteenth century, and used by the university for administrative purposes. In
1975 it was handed over to the Bodleian Library, and now provides office and meeting space for senior members of staff.
The library in the twentieth century
In
1911, the
Copyright Act continued the Stationers' agreement by making the Bodleian one of the six (at that time) libraries covering legal deposit in the
United Kingdom where a copy of each book copyrighted must be deposited.
See: Legal deposit.
Between
1909 and
1912, an underground bookstack was constructed beneath the
Radcliffe Camera and Radcliffe Square. In
1914, the total number of books in the library’s collections breached the 1 million mark. By the 1920s, the Library needed further expansion space, and in
1937 building commenced on the New Bodleian building, opposite the
Clarendon Building on the corner of Broad Street.
The New Bodleian was designed by architect
Sir Giles Gilbert Scott. Construction was completed in
1940. The building was of an innovative ziggurat design, with 60% of the bookstack below ground level. A tunnel under Broad Street connects the Old and New Bodleian buildings, and contains a pedestrian walkway, a mechanical book conveyor and a pneumatic
Lamson tube system which was used for book orders until an electronic automated stack request system was introduced in 2002. The
Lamson tube system is still used by users requesting manuscripts to be delivered to Duke Humfrey’s Library, since many of these have yet to be entered onto
OLIS, the online public access catalogue and stack request system.
The library today
Today, the Bodleian includes several off-site storage areas as well as nine other libraries in Oxford:
Before being granted access to the library, new readers are required to agree to a formal declaration. This declaration was traditionally oral, but is now usually made by signing a letter to the same effect — ceremonies in which readers recite the declaration are still performed for those who wish to take them, these occur primarily at the start of the University's Michaelmas term. The English text of the declaration is as follows:
» I hereby undertake not to remove from the Library, nor 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.
This is a translation of the following traditional Latin oath:
» Do fidem me nullum librum vel instrumentum aliamve quam rem ad bibliothecam pertinentem, vel ibi custodiae causa depositam, aut e bibliotheca sublaturum esse, aut foedaturum deformaturum aliove quo modo laesurum; item neque ignem nec flammam in bibliothecam inlaturum vel in ea accensurum, neque fumo nicotiano aliove quovis ibi usurum; item promitto me omnes leges ad bibliothecam Bodleianam attinentes semper observaturum esse. (Leges bibliothecae bodleianae alta voce prae legendae custodis iussu).
The library's future
The Bodleian Group now cares for some 8 million items on 117 miles of shelving, and a staff of over 400. It is the second largest library in the UK (behind the
British Library). The continued growth of the library has resulted in a severe shortage of storage space. Over 1.5 million items are currently stored in locations outside of Oxford, including a disused
salt mine in
Cheshire. In an effort to improve access to the library’s collections, Oxford University Library Services (OULS) is in the process of obtaining planning permission to build a new book depository on the
Osney Mead site, to the south east of
Oxford city centre. There are also plans to remodel the New Bodleian building, provide improved storage facilities for rare and fragile material, and to better support researchers.
Copyright and preservation of material
The library operates a strict policy of copyright enforcement. Until fairly recently, photocopying of library material wasn't permitted, as there was concern that copying and excessive handling of material would result in damage. However individuals may now copy material produced after
1900, and a staff-mediated service is provided for certain types of older material. Handheld scanners and digital cameras are also permitted for use on post-1900 publications.
Microform copies have been made of many of the most fragile items in the library's collection, and these are substituted for the original whenever possible. The library has a close relationship with the
Oxford Digital Library
, which is in the process of digitising some of the many rare and unusual items in the University's collection.
The Bodleian Library in fiction
The Library's fine architecture has made it a favourite location for filmmakers. It can be seen in the TV series
Brideshead Revisited,
Another Country (
1984),
The Madness of King George III (
1994), and the first two
Harry Potter films, in which the Divinity School doubles as the
Hogwarts hospital wing and Duke Humfrey's Library as the Hogwarts library. In
The New World (
2005) the libraries' edifice is portrayed as the entrace to the Royal Court of the English monarchy.
Also, the first few words of the
Latin version of the reader's promise seen above (
Do fidem me nullum librum vel) can be found on the linguist's hat in the
1996 mini-series
Gulliver's Travels.
Since
J.R.R. Tolkien had studied philology at Oxford and eventually became a professor, he was very familiar with the
Red Book of Hergest which was kept at the Bodleian. He later created his own fictional
Red Book of Westmarch telling the story of
The Lord of the Rings. Many of Tolkien's manuscripts are now at the library.
It is the library used in
Colin Dexter's
Inspector Morse (The Wench Is Dead).
Background scenery in
Dorothy L. Sayers Gaudy Night set in a fictitious all-female Shrewsbury College, set at Oxford University
Treasures include
The original Shikshapatri manuscript written by Lord Swaminarayan himself.
The Carte Manuscripts.
Shakespeare's First folio
Ashmole Manuscripts including the Ashmole Bestiary.
The letters of the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley.
The Gutenberg Bible, one of only 42 surviving (complete) copies worldwide.
The Douce Manuscripts which were donated to the library by Sir Francis Douce in 1834.
The Laud Manuscripts which were donated to the library by Archbishop William Laud between 1635 and 1640.
The Vernon Manuscript (Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Eng. poet.a.1), the biggest and most important surviving manuscript written in Middle English.
The Song of Roland.
The Codex Laud.
The Codex Mendoza.
Four copies of the Magna Carta.Further Information
Get more info on 'Bodleian Library'.
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