Productivity!

[jadesfire]

I 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...

Comments

[laurab1.livejournal.com]

Yes, there's a distinct surplus of European kids, all with the same rucksack, in the city at the moment. Them, and Japanese tourists.

The main Blackwells shop SCARES ME, it's so huge.

[unfeathered]

Yes, there's a distinct surplus of European kids, all with the same rucksack, in the city at the moment.

Heh, you should have seen Chelmsford the last two weeks. We've had 40,000 Scouts staying in our local park for the World Jamboree, and the town has been absolutely crawling with them!

Though at least they're well-behaved :-)

You sound like you're having a lovely time researching, Jades. I do miss that a bit myself. 'Fraid I can't help you with your medieval libraries :-(

[laurab1.livejournal.com]

We've had 40,000 Scouts staying in our local park for the World Jamboree, and the town has been absolutely crawling with them!

They were on Brownsea Island, last week. I saw that on the local news. There are a lot of them, yes.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

It was just one of those on the off-chance comments - I've got a few leads that I can start with.

And the people round the bod were mostly well behaved, they were just everywhere!

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

I love the Norrington Room! So Many Books! But putting it that close to the Bod is just fatal for the bank balance...

It was mostly retired folks around the Bod (apart from the screaming ;)) who were very friendly but just didn't seem to quite realise that if they stood in the gateway, no-one could go anywhere. :)

[crystalshard.livejournal.com]

Ooooh, now I'm envious. Boooooooks . . .

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Soooooooo many boooooooooks :D

[dyddgu.livejournal.com]

It could have been worse - we had a spate of Bollywood filming last summer, and they decided to do one of the dance numbers, complete with piped music, in Radcliffe Square, without (so Isabel tells me) clearing it with the Bod or anyone.

I always used to fall asleep in the ST Lee, though. It feels awfully womb-like, even with the refurb.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Funny you should mention the falling asleep thing... I have to say that at about 3 o'clock I just put my head down and got ten minutes kip. No-one pays you any attention and it stopped the words from swimming across the page.

I think everyone has an image of the Bod/Rad Cam being silent, but between the screaming tourists, the bin men, the recycling men (collecting large quantities of glass from Hertford), the builders and the people with the squeaky shoes, it's quite bustling!

[hellenebright.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. Mediaeval libraries. I'd think The English Library before 1700, Francis Wormald and C. E. Wright eds. which is a collection of papers is your best bet, although I suspect you'd find it as dry as dust.

So to amuse you, let me introduce you to the website of the Diocese of Wenchoster (http://www.dioceseofwenchoster.co.uk/index2.htm), including information about it's chained library (do inspect the Christmas hymns) and it's virtual Mandylion Chapel.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

I can probably cope with dry as dust if it tells me what I need to know. I'll check it out, thanks.

I have had a chance to go through the whole site yet but oh dear...someone has too much time on their hands ;)

[hellenebright.livejournal.com]

It's from 1958 I think, but the Bod should have a copy.

And that site is a little gem, isn't it.

[viola-jen.livejournal.com]

I've made the mistake of going into the Oxford Blackwell's unsupervised a couple of times. I ended up POOR!
Books are good :)
Unfortunately I don't know anything about medieval libraries but it sounds very interesting and I hope someone knows things (or you find the appropriate literature)

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Books are wonderful! They are also expensive... *hides credit card* :)

[smtfhw.livejournal.com]

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 spent a great deal of my three years in the Bod, and I loved it. I'd quite often get so side-tracked by being in there, that I'd end up failing to read whatever I was supposed to read though...

I also remembered why I'm not allowed in Blackwells bookshop on my own.

I was quite relieved when my account finally expired - it was too dangerous in the 1970s and clearly still is.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

The Bod is so comforting and lovely - I kept bumping into people I know from the library I work in, which was quite entertaining as half of them didn't recognise me out of context and the other half clearly wondered what on earth I was doing there. (because, you know, librarians don't know anything *rolls eyes*)

Blackwells is evil and wonderful, especially the second-hand department. I'm going to have to draw up a wishlist...

[miss-zedem.livejournal.com]

Only just spotted this, sorry! I've emailed my friend/tutor guy - his speciality is early medieval England, so he might have a better idea about which authors you'd find helpful.

As a general introduction, have you looked at the Oxford Dictionary of Anglo-Saxon England? It's pretty comprehensive. Also The ORB (http://www.the-orb.net/encyclop/early/pre1000/asindex.html) is a fabby resource for Medieval things in general, so you may find something of use on there? If not, then there's a link via their page to Labyrinth, which is another good resource for all things Medievaly.

Glad you enjoyed your day anyway, and that you're getting stuff done!

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

That's great, thanks - I'll have a scroll through. I'm not having trouble finding books per se - Oxford does books ;) - but as you say, it's knowing what's actually of use out of the mountain of material.

I've been doing some preliminary reading on it today (and got hopelessly distracted from the point of the dissertation, hence writing the first section tomorrow) and as far as I can tell, my point's going to be "there aren't libraries, except in monasteries, where 14 cupboards of books was considered to be a massive collection" although I'm going to try and get more words out of it than that :D

SG1 is in the post, btw, so I have now achieved more than just studying. Go me :)