Bodleian Library 14th - 17th century: September 2012

Saturday 15 September 2012

Oriel on a tangent

This is my third blog for this series, I have been working on developing a range of relevant and reliable resources for my assessment. I have wondered if Wikipedia is relevant and a reliable resource, and in my opinion, the jury is still out. I think it depends on how well it is resourced, and how reliable and relevant those resources are. The other thing, if there is relevant information on youtube provided by a reliable resource, can that video therefore be considered a relevant and reliable resource? Can I cite these in my assessment?

The research process has involved the above thoughts, plus snatching some time for to create this blog while I was at my mother-in-law’s, a very nice woman I might add.

I was re-reading my first entry, and I realised something. I’d missed a couple of very important research points that I'd like to include in my final assessment. These are;

COPYRIGHT ACTS PERTAINING TO THE BODLEIAN
SOME OF THE WORKS IN THE BODLEIAN
DIFFERENCE IN COLLECTIONS BETWEEN THE EARLY CENTURIES AND NOW
BORROWING POLICIES OF THE BODLEIAN
These will be discussed in Blogs 8, 9, 10 and 11.

QUESTIONS THAT I WANT TO ANSWER IN FULLER DETAIL IN MY FINAL ASSESSMENT;

Who was Thomas de Cobham?

Bishop of Worcester
1327; died without seeing his dream of providing books for the use of poor scholars realised
Oriel MS 46 fol. 163v

What was his impact on the library at Oxford University?

1320; Cobham began giving money to Oxford so that they would build a congregation house for the use of poor scholars. Unfortunately, he died before this could be realised.

Who was Adam de Brome? What did being Provost of Oriel mean?

I will answer the first question here, briefly and leave the second question’s answer for the final assessment. Adam de Brome redeemed the books from Thomas de Cobham’s estate after he died. He was Provost of Oriel.

Brome agreed that the scholars of his new college would say the prayers requested by the executors for the bishop’s soul, and had the books brought to Oxford and installed in the college.

http://www.oriel.ox.ac.uk/content/history-library

What’s important about the Oriel library? Why am I bothering to mention it here when I’m supposed to be talking about the Bodleian library?

Although this is one of the Libraries of Oxford, it is not associated with the Bodleian Library however I feel that this Library is worthy of note as it can be considered to be the first Library at Oxford and as such is important in the evolution towards the Bodleian Library, and also, to me, it’s interesting to discuss the first Library at Oxford.

What was important about 1367?

In this year, the books that Cobham had bequested were ‘chained in the upper room, as Cobham had intended’ in his will.

How is it used today?

It is used as a vestry and meeting room for the church (which church? How long has this been the arrangement? What is the relationship between the Bodleian and the church?)

More information can be found about the Oriel Library here: http://www.oriel.ox.ac.uk/content/12/library

Wednesday 12 September 2012

Research Continues on the Bodleian

This is the second entry in my series of entries on the early library helped by Thomas de Cobham through to the opening of the Bodleian in 1602 then continued on through the rest of the 17th century.

The research process for this week has meant me figuring a layout of Blogs, as well as using the Victoria University catalogue for full text online articles. I have had difficulties finding more than general information on the subtopics I have included under the main assignment topic. Another difficulty was that I went to my local library and discovered no books on the Bodleian. I think I'll have to go to a bigger library, see what I can find there.

Since writing the first blog, I have discovered the following references on the aspects involved in this topic;

The Schools Quadrangle of the Bodleian, with a statue of the Earl of Pembroke, Chancellor of the University, 1617-30.

Sir Thomas Bodley. Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition, 11/1/2011

Oxford's Bodleian Library, a Landmark of Vast Riches, Has Everything but Space. By: Mooney, Carolyn J., Chronicle of Higher Education, 00095982, 10/8/99, Vol. 46, Issue 7

A drawing of books chained to reading lecterns

S So far, I have enjoyed this assignment although at times I have found it difficult to progress to a point where I'm happy with the research. I have enjoyed finding out more about the early history of the Bodleian, traditions, important dates, names that were important to the creation and the continuation of the Bodleian, and the original library before the Bodleian was created in 1602.

I am slowly but surely learning how to blog, and that has been a lot of fun. I feel that the skills I am learning will be important for me in the future when I write other blogs.

See you at the next blog

Tuesday 11 September 2012

main points about my bodleian assignment

This blog is a way to tell you about my assignment. I am going to be discussing the Bodleian Library in Britain, including the Stationer's agreement, Thomas Bodley's impact on the Bodleian, Thomas Cobham and his influence on the library before it became the Bodleian, and some of the changes, materials and policies that were a part of the Bodleian in these early centuries.

My research process so far has been primarily internet based, including journals and websites. I am yet to go to research physical resources although I intend to do that this weekend.

To begin with, I will discuss the main points of my assignment;

<Thomas de Cobham>, Bishop of Worcester, began sponsored the building of the original library for Oxford university in 1320. This library, the first for Oxford University, distinctive from the colleges was housed in a room above the Old Congregation House. Sadly, it was unfinisihed when Thomas de Cobham died in 1327. It still exists today as a vestry and meeting room for the church.
The original library was superseded in 1488 by the library known as Duke Humfrey’s. In 1444 the University decided to erect a new library over the Divinity School, begun in about 1424 on a site at the northern end of School Street; this building was not finished until 1488.
In 1550, Richard Cox, Dean of the Christ Church denuded the Bodleian of its books. He acted under legislation passed by King Edward VI designed to purge the English church of all traces of Roman Catholicism.
Oxford University was quite poor at this time and couldn't rebuild the collection after this occurred. In 1556, therefore, the desks were sold, and the room was taken over by the Faculty of Medicine.
<Sir Thomas Bodley> and his influence on the Bodleian Library. He decided to '‘set up my staff at the library door in Oxon; being thoroughly persuaded, that in my solitude, and surcease from the Commonwealth affairs, I could not busy myself to better purpose, than by reducing that place (which then in every part lay ruined and waste) to the public use of students’.
<Selden End> was created in 1637 after the lawyer John Selden (1584-1654) gave a gift of 8000 books to be housed in the extension to Duke Humfrey's library.

OUT OF INTEREST

"Another tradition, still zealously guarded, is that no books were to be lent to readers; even King Charles I was refused permission to borrow a book in 1645. But the number of users should not be overestimated; in 1831 there was an average of three or four readers a day, and there were no readers at all in July. With no heating until 1845 and no artificial lighting until 1929, the Library only opened from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the winter and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the summer."