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Productivity!
Aug. 10th, 2007 09:08 pmI have achieved studying! I'm feeling rather proud of myself today for managing to read 5 or 6 books and actually gathering information that's going to let me write the first third of my dissertation. yay! I'd forgotten how much I enjoy a)studying and b)Classics and got rather nostalgic while sitting in the Lower Reading Room at the Bod. *sniff* I've only got this luxury for 3 more weeks, so I'm going to enjoy it while I can.
There are always jealous comments when I write about reading at the Bod, and today, I think they were justified :) It was lovely and sunny, so the Lower Reading Room was looking its best, I had a pile of books about ancient libraries, including the most enormous red volume with lots of colour pictures that I can't wait to get to and I even chose a proper foam book rest to use, to save my neck. The only drawback was the sheer number of tourists every time I set foot outside the door. Why do they always congregate in doorways/gateways? There's so much space around the Bodleian and Sheldonian, but they always stand right in the way. And while I was actually upstairs reading, some of them decided it would be fun to re-enact the wailing scene from *forgets name of play* The Crucible ? Apparently they liked the acoustics in the courtyard and wanted to try them out. A lot. *sigh* But there's something lovely and surreal about sitting in an old, academic setting while modern life goes on outside. I really am remembering how much I loved this.
I also remembered why I'm not allowed in Blackwells bookshop on my own. I wandered into the second-hand department (looking for something specific, I swear) and there were so...many...books. It looked like someone had got rid of a complete 'Classics for everyone' collection, so there were books by people like Michael Grant and Paul Cartledge who write scholarly, accessible books that are really useful. Actually, I wanted to buy everything on display, but settled on Greek & Roman Historians: Information and Misinformation as my ancient history's a bit rusty. I've also ordered Library: An Unquiet History and am now just crossing my fingers that it arrives in time for me to use it.
While I'm here, I don't suppose any of you guys know anything about medieval libraries? I need to write about one (maybe two) and am looking for a basic introduction to the subject (preferably UK published so the Bod will definitely have it). On the basis that you guys always know everything, I thought I'd ask...
There are always jealous comments when I write about reading at the Bod, and today, I think they were justified :) It was lovely and sunny, so the Lower Reading Room was looking its best, I had a pile of books about ancient libraries, including the most enormous red volume with lots of colour pictures that I can't wait to get to and I even chose a proper foam book rest to use, to save my neck. The only drawback was the sheer number of tourists every time I set foot outside the door. Why do they always congregate in doorways/gateways? There's so much space around the Bodleian and Sheldonian, but they always stand right in the way. And while I was actually upstairs reading, some of them decided it would be fun to re-enact the wailing scene from *forgets name of play* The Crucible ? Apparently they liked the acoustics in the courtyard and wanted to try them out. A lot. *sigh* But there's something lovely and surreal about sitting in an old, academic setting while modern life goes on outside. I really am remembering how much I loved this.
I also remembered why I'm not allowed in Blackwells bookshop on my own. I wandered into the second-hand department (looking for something specific, I swear) and there were so...many...books. It looked like someone had got rid of a complete 'Classics for everyone' collection, so there were books by people like Michael Grant and Paul Cartledge who write scholarly, accessible books that are really useful. Actually, I wanted to buy everything on display, but settled on Greek & Roman Historians: Information and Misinformation as my ancient history's a bit rusty. I've also ordered Library: An Unquiet History and am now just crossing my fingers that it arrives in time for me to use it.
While I'm here, I don't suppose any of you guys know anything about medieval libraries? I need to write about one (maybe two) and am looking for a basic introduction to the subject (preferably UK published so the Bod will definitely have it). On the basis that you guys always know everything, I thought I'd ask...