The Bodleian Library () is the main

research library A research library is a library which contains an in-depth collection of material on one or several subjects.(Young, 1983; p. 188) A research library will generally include an in-depth selection of materials on a particular topic or set of to ...

of the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

, and is one of the oldest libraries in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

. It derives its name from its founder, Sir

Thomas Bodley Sir Thomas Bodley (2 March 1545 – 28 January 1613) was an English diplomat and scholar who founded the Bodleian Library in Oxford. Origins Thomas Bodley was born on 2 March 1545, in the second-to-last year of the reign of King Henry VIII, ...

. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second-largest library in Britain after the

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the British ...

. Under the

Legal Deposit Libraries Act 2003 The Legal Deposit Libraries Act 2003 (c 28) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which regulates the legal deposit of publications in the United Kingdom. The bill for this Act was a private member's bill. This Act was passed to upd ...

, it is one of six

legal deposit Legal deposit is a legal requirement that a person or group submit copies of their publications to a repository, usually a library. The number of copies required varies from country to country. Typically, the national library is the primary reposi ...

libraries for works published in the United Kingdom, and under Irish law it is entitled to request a copy of each book published in the Republic of Ireland. Known to Oxford scholars as "Bodley" or "the Bod", it operates principally as a

reference library A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vi ...

and, in general, documents may not be removed from the reading rooms. In 2000, a number of libraries within the University of Oxford were brought together for administrative purposes under the aegis of what was initially known as Oxford University Library Services (OULS), and since 2010 as the Bodleian Libraries, of which the Bodleian Library is the largest component. All

colleges of the University of Oxford The University of Oxford has thirty-nine colleges, and five permanent private halls (PPHs) of religious foundation. Colleges and PPHs are autonomous self-governing corporations within the university. These colleges are not only houses of reside ...

have their own libraries, which in a number of cases were established well before the foundation of the Bodleian, and all of which remain entirely independent of the Bodleian. They do, however, participate in SOLO (Search Oxford Libraries Online), the Bodleian Libraries' online

union catalog A union catalog is a combined library catalog describing the collections of a number of libraries. Union catalogs have been created in a range of media, including book format, microform, cards and more recently, networked electronic databases. ...

ue, except for

University College In a number of countries, a university college is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies ...

, which has an independent catalogue. Much of the library's archives were digitized and put online for public access in 2015.

Sites and regulations

The Bodleian Library occupies a group of five buildings near Broad Street: the 15th-century

Duke Humfrey's Library Duke Humfrey's Library is the oldest reading room in the Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford. It is named after Humphrey of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Gloucester, who donated 281 books after his death in 1447. Sections of the libraries w ...

, the 17th-century Schools Quadrangle, the 18th-century

Clarendon Building Clarendon Building is an early 18th-century neoclassical building of the University of Oxford. It is in Broad Street, Oxford, England, next to the Bodleian Library and the Sheldonian Theatre and near the centre of the city. It was built between ...

and

Radcliffe Camera The Radcliffe Camera (colloquially known as the "Rad Cam" or "The Camera"; from Latin , meaning 'room') is a building of the University of Oxford, England, designed by James Gibbs in neo-classical style and built in 1737–49 to house the Radcli ...

, and the 20th- and 21st-century

Weston Library The Weston Library is part of the Bodleian Library, the main research library of the University of Oxford, reopened within the former New Bodleian Library building on the corner of Broad Street and Parks Road in central Oxford, England. Histo ...

. Since the 19th century, underground stores have been constructed, while the principal off-site storage area is located at

South Marston South Marston is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The village is about north-east of Swindon town centre. History The earliest documentary evidence for continuous settlement dates from the 13th centu ...

on the edge of Swindon.

Admission

Before being granted access to the library, new readers are required to agree to a formal declaration. This declaration was traditionally an oral oath, but is now usually made by signing a letter to a similar 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 Michaelmas term is the first academic term of the academic year in a number of English-speaking universities and schools in the northern hemisphere, especially in the United Kingdom. Michaelmas term derives its name from the Feast of St Micha ...

. External readers (those not attached to the university) are still required to recite the declaration orally prior to admission. The Bodleian Admissions Office has amassed a large collection of translations of the declaration – covering over one hundred different languages as of spring 2017 – allowing those who are not native English speakers to recite it in their first language. The English text of the declaration is as follows: This is a translation of the traditional Latin oath (the original version of which did not forbid tobacco smoking, though libraries were then unheated because fires were so hazardous):

History

14th and 15th centuries

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 14th century under the will of

Thomas Cobham Thomas Cobham (died 1327) was an English churchman, who was Archbishop-elect of Canterbury in 1313 and later Bishop of Worcester from 1317 to 1327. Cobham earned a Doctor of Theology and a Doctor of Canon LawBishop of Worcester (d. 1327). This small collection of chained books was situated above the north side of the

University Church of St Mary the Virgin The University Church of St Mary the Virgin (St Mary's or SMV for short) is an Oxford church situated on the north side of the High Street. It is the centre from which the University of Oxford grew and its parish consists almost exclusively of u ...

on the High Street. This collection continued to grow steadily, but when

Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester Humphrey of Lancaster, Duke of Gloucester (3 October 139023 February 1447) was an English prince, soldier, and literary patron. He was (as he styled himself) "son, brother and uncle of kings", being the fourth and youngest son of Henry IV of E ...

(brother of Henry V of England) donated a great collection of manuscripts between 1435 and 1437, the space was deemed insufficient and a larger building was required. A suitable room was finally built above the

Divinity School A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...

, and completed in 1488. This room continues to be known as

.''The Bodleian Library'' 1976. See also Bodleian history page at https://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/bodley/about-us/history After 1488, the university stopped spending money on the library's upkeep and acquisitions, and manuscripts began to go unreturned to the library.

Sir Thomas Bodley and the re-founding of the University Library

The library went through a period of decline in the late 16th century: the library's furniture was sold, and only three of the original books belonging to Duke Humphrey remained in the collection. During the reign of

Edward VI Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. Edward was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour and the first E ...

, there was a purge of "superstitious" (Catholic-related) manuscripts. It was not until 1598 that the library began to thrive once more,Philip, Ian (1983); p. 1 when

(a former fellow of Merton College, who had recently married a wealthy widow) 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 will take the charge and cost upon me, to reduce it again to his former use." Six of the Oxford University dons were tasked with helping Bodley in refitting the library in March 1598. Duke Humfrey's Library was refitted, and Bodley donated some 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). There were around two thousand books in the library at this time, with an ornate Benefactor's Register displayed prominently, to encourage donations. Early benefactors were motivated by the recent memory of the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

to donate books in the hopes that they would be kept safe. Bodley's collecting interests were varied; according to the library's 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", despite no-one at Oxford being able to understand them at that time. In 1605,

Francis Bacon Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban (; 22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626), also known as Lord Verulam, was an English philosopher and statesman who served as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England. Bacon led the advancement of both ...

gave the library a copy of ''

The Advancement of Learning thumbnail, Title page ''The Advancement of Learning'' (full title: ''Of the Proficience and Advancement of Learning, Divine and Human'') is a 1605 book by Francis Bacon. It inspired the taxonomic structure of the highly influential ''Encyclopé ...

'' and described the Bodleian as "an Ark to save learning from deluge". At this time, there were few books written in English held in the library, partially because academic work was not done in English.

Thomas James Thomas James (c. 1573 – August 1629) was an English librarian and Anglican clergyman, the first librarian of the Bodleian Library, Oxford. Life He was born about 1573 at Newport, Isle of Wight. In 1586 he was admitted a scholar of Winchest ...

suggested that Bodley should ask the

Stationers' Company The Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers (until 1937 the Worshipful Company of Stationers), usually known as the Stationers' Company, is one of the livery companies of the City of London. The Stationers' Company was formed in ...

to provide a copy of all books printed to the Bodleian and in 1610 Bodley made an agreement with the company 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 and 1612 (known as the Arts End), and again in 1634–1637. When

John Selden John Selden (16 December 1584 – 30 November 1654) was an English jurist, a scholar of England's ancient laws and constitution and scholar of Jewish law. He was known as a polymath; John Milton hailed Selden in 1644 as "the chief of learned ...

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". By 1620, 16,000 items were in the Bodleian's collection. Anyone who wanted to use the Bodleian had to buy a copy of the 1620 library catalogue at a cost of 2 shillings and 8 pence.

Schools Quadrangle and Tower of the Five Orders

By the time of Bodley's death in 1613, his planned further expansion to the library was just starting. The Schools Quadrangle (sometimes referred to as the "Old Schools Quadrangle", or the "Old Library") was built between 1613 and 1619 by adding three wings to the Proscholium and Arts End. 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 is ornamented, in ascending order, with the columns of each of the five orders of

classical architecture Classical architecture usually denotes architecture which is more or less consciously derived from the principles of Greek and Roman architecture of classical antiquity, or sometimes even more specifically, from the works of the Roman architect ...

: Tuscan, Doric, Ionic,

Corinthian Corinthian or Corinthians may refer to: *Several Pauline epistles, books of the New Testament of the Bible: **First Epistle to the Corinthians **Second Epistle to the Corinthians **Third Epistle to the Corinthians (Orthodox) *A demonym relating to ...

and

Composite Composite or compositing may refer to: Materials * Composite material, a material that is made from several different substances ** Metal matrix composite, composed of metal and other parts ** Cermet, a composite of ceramic and metallic materials ...

. The three wings of the quadrangle have three floors: rooms on the ground and upper floors of the quadrangle (excluding

, above the

) were originally used as lecture space and an art gallery. The lecture rooms are still indicated by the inscriptions over the doors (see illustration). As the library's collections expanded, these rooms were gradually taken over, the university lectures and examinations were moved into the newly created University Schools building. The art collection was transferred to the

Ashmolean The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology () on Beaumont Street, Oxford, England, is Britain's first public museum. Its first building was erected in 1678–1683 to house the cabinet of curiosities that Elias Ashmole gave to the University o ...

. One of the schools was used to host exhibitions of the library's treasures, now moved to the renovated Weston Library, whilst the others are used as offices and meeting rooms for the library administrators, a readers' common room, and a small gift shop.

Later 17th and 18th centuries

The agreement with the Stationers' Company meant that the growth of stock was constant and there were also a number of large bequests and acquisitions for other reasons. Until the establishment of the British Museum in 1753, the Bodleian was effectively the national library of England. By then the Bodleian, Cambridge University Library and the Royal Library were the most extensive book collections in England and Wales. The astronomer Thomas Hornsby observed the transit of Venus from the Tower of the Five Orders in 1769. A large collection of medieval Italian manuscripts was bought from Matteo Luigi Canonici in 1817. In 1829, the library bought the collection of Rabbi David Oppenheim (rabbi), David Oppenheim, adding to its Hebrew collection.

Radcliffe Camera

By the late 19th century, further growth of the library demanded more expansion space. In 1860, the library was allowed to take over the adjacent building, the

. In 1861, the library's medical and scientific collections were transferred to the Radcliffe Science Library, which had been built farther north next to the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, University Museum.

Clarendon Building

The

was designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor and 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 19th 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.

Twentieth century and after

In 1907, then head librarian, Nicholson, had begun a project to revise the catalogue of printed books. In 1909, the Prime Minister of Nepal, Chandra Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana, Chandra Shum Shere, donated a large collection of Sanskrit literature to the library. In 1911, the Copyright Act 1911, Copyright Act (now superseded by the

) continued the Stationers' agreement by making the Bodleian one of the six (at that time) libraries covering

in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom where a copy of each published book must be deposited. Between 1909 and 1912, an underground bookstack was constructed beneath the

and Radcliffe Square, known since 2011 as the Gladstone Link.Oxford University Library Services
"A university library for the 21st century: an exhibition of proposals by the Oxford University Library Services (OULS)"
(University of Oxford, 2005), accessed 2 April 201
archived
In 1914, the total number of books in the library's collections breached the 1 million mark. By 1915, only one quarter of the revised catalogue had been completed, a task made more difficult by library staff going into the History of the United Kingdom during the First World War, war effort, either serving in the armed forces or by volunteering to serve in the hospitals. In July 1915, the most valuable books had been moved into a secret location due to a fear that Oxford would be bombed, and a volunteer fire brigade was trained and ready, but Oxford escaped the First World War without being bombed. By the 1920s, the Library needed further expansion space, and in 1937 building work began on the New Bodleian building, opposite the

on the northeast 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 continued to be used by readers requesting manuscripts to be delivered to Duke Humfrey's Library until it was turned off in July 2009. In 2010, it was announced that the conveyor, which had been transporting books under Broad Street since the 1940s, would be shut down and dismantled on 20 August 2010. The New Bodleian closed on 29 July 2011.

Present and future of the libraries

The New Bodleian building was rebuilt behind its original façade to provide improved storage facilities for rare and fragile material, as well as better facilities for readers and visitors. The new building concept was designed by WilkinsonEyre and the MEP design was undertaken by engineering consultancy Hurley Palmer Flatt. It reopened to readers as the

on 21 March 2015. In March 2010, the group of libraries known collectively as "Oxford University Library Services" was renamed "Bodleian Libraries, The Bodleian Libraries", thus allowing those Oxford members outside the Bodleian to acquire the gloss of the Bodleian brand. The building was nominated for the 2016 Stirling Prize, Sterling Prize. In November 2015, its collections topped 12 million items with the acquisition of Percy Bysshe Shelley, Shelley's "Poetical Essay on the Existing State of Things". Thought lost from shortly after its publication in 1811 until a copy was rediscovered in a private collection in 2006, the Bodleian has digitised the 20-page pamphlet for online access. The controversial poem and accompanying essay are believed to have contributed to the poet being sent down from Oxford University.

Copying and preservation of material

The library operates a strict policy on copying of material. Until fairly recently, personal photocopying of library material was not permitted, as there was concern that copying and excessive handling would result in damage. However, individuals may now copy most material produced after 1900, and a staff-mediated service is provided for certain types of material dated between 1801 and 1900. Handheld scanners and digital cameras are also permitted for use on most post-1900 publications and digital cameras may also be used, with permission, with older material. The Library will supply digital scans of most pre-1801 material. Microform copies have been made of many of the most fragile items in the library's collection, and these are substituted for the originals whenever possible. The library publishes digital images of objects in its collection through it
Digital Bodleian
service.

Treasures of the library

Manuscript collections

* The Ashmole Manuscripts (including the Ashmole Bestiary), collected by Elias Ashmole * The Carte Manuscripts, collected by Thomas Carte (1686–1754) * The Douce Manuscripts, donated to the library by Francis Douce in 1834 * The Laud Manuscripts, donated to the library by William Laud, Archbishop William Laud between 1635 and 1640 * The letters of the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley * The Drower Collection (DC), donated by E. S. Drower, is the world's most extensive collection of list of Mandaean scriptures, Mandaean manuscripts.Mandaean manuscripts given by Lady Ethel May Stefana Drower
Archives Hub.

Individual manuscripts

* The Codex Bodley * The Codex Ebnerianus * The Codex Laudianus * The Codex Laud * The Codex Mendoza * The Codex Tischendorfianus III * The Codex Tischendorfianus IV * The Huntington MS 17, the oldest manuscript with complete text of the four Gospels in Coptic language, Bohairic (Coptic). * Magna Carta (four copies) * ''The Song of Roland'' * The Vernon Manuscript (Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Eng. poet.a.1), the longest and most important surviving manuscript written in Middle English. * Bakhshali manuscript, Bower Manuscript and Weber Manuscript of ancient Sanskrit texts * Bruce Codex, Coptic language, Coptic manuscript, one of three surviving codices containing full copies of all of the gnostic writings

Individual printed books

* A Gutenberg Bible, c. 1455, one of only 21 surviving complete copies. * Shakespeare's First folio, 1623 * Bay Psalm Book, 1640. One of 11 known surviving copies of the first book printed in North America, and the only copy outside the United States. * The first book printed in Arabic with Movable type, moveable type.

Other

* The Gough Map * Shikshapatri * Selden Carol Book

Bodley's Librarians

The head of the Bodleian Library is known as "Bodley's Librarian". The first librarian,

, was selected by Bodley in 1599, and the university confirmed James in his post in 1602. Bodley wanted his librarian to be "some one that is noted and known for a diligent Student, and in all his conversation to be trusty, active, and discreet, a graduate also and a Linguist, not encumbered with marriage, nor with a benefice of Cure", although James was able to persuade Bodley to let him get married and to become Rector of St Aldate's Church, Oxford. James said of the Bodleian's collections, "The like Librarie is no where to be found." In all, 25 have served as Bodley's Librarian; their levels of diligence have varied over the years. Thomas Lockey (1660–1665) was regarded as not fit for the post, John Hudson (classicist), John Hudson (1701–1719) has been described as "negligent if not incapable", and John Price (librarian), John Price (1768–1813) was accused by a contemporary scholar of "a regular and constant neglect of his duty". Sarah Thomas (librarian), Sarah Thomas, who served from 2007 to 2013, was the first woman to hold the position, and the second Librarian (after her predecessor, Reginald Carr (librarian), Reginald Carr) also to be Director of Oxford University Library Services (now Bodleian Libraries). Thomas, an American, was also the first foreign librarian to run the Bodleian. Her successor from January 2014 is Richard Ovenden, who was Deputy Librarian under Thomas.

In popular culture

Novels

The Bodleian is one of the libraries consulted by Christine Greenaway (one of Bodley's librarians) in Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse novel ''The Wench Is Dead, The Wench is Dead'' (1989). The denouement of Michael Innes's ''Operation Pax'' (1951) is set in an imaginary version of the underground bookstack, reached at night by sliding down the "Mendip cleft", a chute concealed in Radcliffe Square. Since J. R. R. Tolkien had studied philology at Oxford and eventually became a professor, many of Tolkien's manuscripts are now at the library. Historian and novelist Deborah Harkness, set much of the early part of her 2011 novel, ''A Discovery of Witches'', in the Bodleian, particularly the Selden End. The novel also features one of the library's Ashmolean manuscripts, Ashmole manuscripts (Ashmole 782) as a central element of the book. Medieval historian Dominic Selwood set part of his 2013 crypto-thriller ''The Sword of Moses (novel), The Sword of Moses'' in Duke Humfrey's Library, Duke Humfrey's library, and the novel hinges on the library's copy of a magical medieval Hebrew manuscript known as "The Sword of Moses".

Location filming

The Library's architecture has made it a popular location for filmmakers, representing either Oxford University or other locations. It can be seen in the opening scene of ''The Golden Compass (film), The Golden Compass'' (2007), ''Brideshead Revisited (TV serial), Brideshead Revisited'' (1981 TV serial), ''Another Country (1984 film), Another Country'' (1984), ''The Madness of King George III'' (1994), and the first two, as well as the fourth, ''Harry Potter (film series), Harry Potter'' films, in which the

doubles as the Hogwarts hospital wing and the room in which Professor McGonagall teaches the students to dance, as well as

as the Hogwarts, Hogwarts library.Leonard, Bill, ''The Oxford of Inspector Morse'' Location Guides, Oxford (2004) p. 203 .

References

Notes Further reading *Craster, H. H. E. (1952) ''History of the Bodleian Library''. London: O.U.P. *Macray, Rev. William Dunn (1868
''Annals of the Bodleian Library, Oxford, A.D. 1598–A.D. 1867''. London: Rivingtons
*Price, Henry Clarke (2007)
The Bod's Secret Underbelly
, ''Cherwell (newspaper), Cherwell'' * Ó Cuív, Brian (2001-03) ''Catalogue of Irish Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library at Oxford and Oxford College Libraries''. 2 vols. Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, School of Celtic Studies

External links

Bodleian Library
– official website
Digital Bodleian

Oxford Digital Library
*
360° Panorama at dusk in the Quadrangle
* {{Academic libraries in the United Kingdom Bodleian Library, 1602 establishments in England Libraries established in 1602 Grade I listed buildings in Oxford Grade I listed library buildings Deposit libraries Libraries of the University of Oxford