Fortunately, Atlas Shrugged is not one of the choices
October 5, 2011 9:42 AM   Subscribe

Treasures of the Bodleian. Oxford University's Bodleian Library will move into a substantially renovated home in 2015. In preparation, it has put online a selection of highlights from the collection, ranging from papyri to Penguins. You can vote for your favorite treasure, and the top vote-getter will go on display when the library reopens.
posted by Horace Rumpole (8 comments total) 18 users marked this as a favorite
 
Good stuff. Check out the Sappho link and you will have the scrap recited in English and in Greek.
posted by IndigoJones at 10:07 AM on October 5, 2011


Includes some of the gifts from Sir Edmund Backhouse, long an inspiration to dodgy bullshitters hanging around Beijing such as myself.
posted by Abiezer at 10:15 AM on October 5, 2011


*scrolls past Magna Carta, Purcell ms. &c.*

‘Free Nelson Mandela’ badges and box

Well, I wasn't expecting that.
posted by iotic at 11:17 AM on October 5, 2011


Goodness, I didn't know about the Bodleian move. Unpicking it from the info on the site, I think that the moves are for books rather than readers - not that they aren't still major of course. The New Bodleian is being renovated and restored (link) and two floors of the Underground Bookstore under the Old Bodleian and the Radcliffe Camera will be turned into open stack reading rooms. (And the tunnel to the Radcliffe Camera will be opened to readers, wch is exciting.) Most of the books will move to a new storage facility - here are pictures, an article and a bit more info. Previously the books were I think mostly at Nuneham but there were other stores like the rock salt mine one in Cheshire - but if anyone has more detailed info it would be interesting to know.
posted by paduasoy at 11:26 AM on October 5, 2011 [1 favorite]


the Underground Bookstore

I gather that it was literally a subterranean space for storing books, rather than a place that sells the Anarchist Cookbook, but that phrase made me do a doubletake!
posted by Horace Rumpole at 11:39 AM on October 5, 2011


The tunnel is already open, paduasoy.
posted by hydatius at 11:41 AM on October 5, 2011


Thanks, hydatius. I need to have a look urgently. Crossing Radcliffe Square always makes me think of the bit in Operation Pax where they get into the bookstacks by going down a sort of supply chute, having to jack-knife at the right moment to avoid getting stuck.
posted by paduasoy at 12:41 PM on October 5, 2011 [1 favorite]


I know, I just finished Operation Pax 2 days ago. Subterranean bookstack chase scene goodness. That book just begs to be made into a movie. I love the combination of action! Plus libraries!
posted by Malla at 5:32 PM on October 5, 2011


« Older Your wikipedia is currently not available.   |   Uncle Ben's Farmyard Courthouse Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments