
Most Noble Bodley!: A Bodleian Library Anthology
Synopsis
Whereas other books treat systematically the history of the Library or its collections, this eclectic collection of writings about the Bodleian tells the story of the Library in a new and interesting way: through the eyes of its readers, benefactors, admirers, librarians, critics, and historians. Ursula Aylmer draws on four hundred years of writing about the Library to build up a rich portrait of an institution and its complex relationship to Oxford, the nation and the world. Beginning with Henry Vaughan's encomium of Thomas Bodley (containing this book's title), it paints a vivid portrait of a working institution as it fulfils its mission on a daily basis. How people perceive an organization says as much about them as it does about the institution. Consequently, her selections reveal a good deal about the people connected with the Library throughout the course of its history. Their eccentricities, erudition, habits, affections and prejudices, and their intellectual curiosity come to the fore. For the most part, they are apparently diligent and dedicated, occasionally dilatory or downright idle, and frequently better at handling books and manuscripts than people. This is a highly readable treasure trove of historical profiles, amusing anecdotes and witty observations gleaned from the pages of chronicles, memoirs, histories and reports over the years, about a much loved and occasionally maligned institution. It is illustrated with images of the Library and its contents over the centuries, as well as some of its benefactors and their benefactions, Bodley's Librarians, and others associated with it throughout its history. It is vivid, informative and entertaining.
- Publisher: The Bodleian Library
- ISBN: 9781851240784
- Dimensions: 246 x 178 x 25 mm