Productivity!
Aug. 10th, 2007 09:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jadesfireI 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...
(no subject)
Date: 2007-08-10 09:38 pm (UTC)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 :-(
(no subject)
Date: 2007-08-10 09:55 pm (UTC)They were on Brownsea Island, last week. I saw that on the local news. There are a lot of them, yes.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-08-11 07:14 am (UTC)And the people round the bod were mostly well behaved, they were just everywhere!