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

 

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