Description of the attraction
The Bodleian Library, the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe and the second largest library in the UK, second only to the British Library. The Bodleian Library is one of the six British libraries with legal copyright rights. Also, a mandatory copy of the Republic of Ireland Publishing House is sent here. The library does not hand out books, books can only be used in reading rooms.
The library occupies a complex of five buildings on Broad Street in Oxford, in addition, its branches and departments are located in various places of Oxford, in different colleges. When registering for the library, readers take a special oath. Previously, it was oral, now readers in writing (can be in their native language) promise that they will not spoil and take out books and other property from the library, they will not bring any fire to the library, they will not smoke and will follow the library rules. The original Latin text of the oath does not include a smoking clause.
The first building specifically for the library was built in the 14th century by order of Thomas Cobham. The books in it were chained to the shelves - you could read them, but you couldn't take them out of the library. The chains were attached to a ring embedded in the cover of the book (not in the spine), and the books were on the shelves with spines from the reader. In the 15th century, the Duke of Humphrey of Gloucester donated a large collection of manuscripts to the library. At the same time, a new reading room was built, which is still known as the Duke of Humphrey's library. At the end of the 16th century, the library was going through difficult times, most of the collection was sold out, only three volumes have survived from the collection of the Duke of Humphrey. Thomas Bodley, a graduate of Merton College, rebuilt the library at his own expense and donated an extensive collection of books to the library. Bodley entered into an agreement with London publishers to transfer to the library a mandatory copy of all printed books, and for a long time the library served as the national library. The library funds grew, storage areas expanded, the library occupied new buildings. The Ratcliffe Rotunda, a beautiful building in the English Palladian style, has become a symbol of the library.
In 1914, the number of storage units in the library exceeded 1 million. Now in the libraries that are part of the Bodleian system, over 11 million items are stored.
Until recently, the library was prohibited from photocopying materials, but now readers can make copies of almost all printed publications issued after 1900, and with the help of library staff, copies of earlier publications can be obtained. Hand-held scanners and digital cameras are also permitted. Most of the materials have been transferred to digital media or microfilms, especially rare and dilapidated copies.
