Day 6 - Exploring Oxford

The trip to Oxford, our first as a group outside of London, was highly anticipated by all. Anthony set up a full day of events with a bit of free time scheduled at the end. Jokes are often made of American being a “Young Country”; however, it is not until you have set foot in Oxford and on the Oxford University campus that you understand how true that phrasing is.  With a history of teaching dating back to 1096, one quickly understands why.

Class approaching OUP

After our two hour ride from London, we met Anthony at the bus center and walked over to the Oxford University Press (“OUP”). Any thoughts of their offices being settled into old stone buildings was soon diminished as we stepping inside their light, airy offices.  Artifacts of printing presses and cabinets filled with OUP’s products are placed around the office. There was a cafe on the first floor and several seating areas with people having tea and meetings in the open.  The feeling of it being a warm place to gather and share ideas was proffered.  

Printing Press

At the OUP, we met with Claire Dowbekin, the Head of Library Relations and Communications, Global Academic Business at OUP.  She gave an overview of the OUP platform, including historical annotations. She stressed the Press’ determination to follow the mission statement.  I was most surprised, and impressed, by the Delegates of Press whose job it is to approve all publications before they are sold.  The group, which meets bimonthly, is invited into their position and hold it, with tenure, until they give it up.  They are expected to be of a high academic level and uphold the mission statement. From time to time, the Delegates reject certain works being published.

With a staff of more than 5,500, most of which are outside the UK, their goal is always towards the mission statement. Next, Claire Bebber, the Institutional Marketing Manager, spoke about the online reference program started in 2008 with the Museum, Libraries and Archives Association, now under the Art’s Council.  They proposed that if 90% of the public libraries signed up for the three programs that they would receive a deep discount.  98% signed up thereby saving more than £3million.  The common thread that appeared was to think of the staff, the end users.  From the meetings held with librarians, the printed materials were created.  From online and offline quizzes to as they put it “arts, music, people, works everything!" is available for free from any computer, at the library or at home, or from the user’s mobile device.  They give the users what they need, keep the message simple and experiment.  Claire stressed that the most important thing to do was to persevere.  

At the Bodleian, We received a brief, fifteen minutes long, but insightful tour of the building. We did not see one building which is undergoing renovations since its contents are offsite 30 miles away. However, we did see where the original building was held as well as where students would have their oral examinations. The exams were given orally, since paper was very expensive, making difficult to compare the students to one another.

We were also told by our guide that only 3 of the original books survived, one by Aristotle and 2 others also philosophically based as they were free from religious persecution.  Due to its Legal Deposit system, it receives more than 5,000 items weekly, which presents a major storage issue for the library. Signs are posted about the library declaring that nothing be removed. We were also not allowed to bring in anything big enough to carry out books. Our bags, purses, etc were placed into a locker on the first floor before we could proceed within the building.
 
Before being granted access to the library, new readers are required to agree to a formal declaration. This declaration was traditionally oral, but is now usually made by signing a letter to the same effect — ceremonies in which readers recite the declaration are still performed for those who wish to take them, these occur primarily at the start of the University's Michaelmas term. The English text of the declaration is as follows:


I hereby undertake not to remove from the Library, nor to mark, deface, or injure in any way, any volume, document or other object belonging to it or in its custody; not to bring into the Library, or kindle therein, any fire or flame, and not to smoke in the Library; and I promise to obey all rules of the Library.

After the requisite tour of the gift shop, we proceeded to a meeting with Clive Hurst, the Head of Rare Books at the Bodleian. He explained in great detail the curation and presentation of the Charles Dickens’ exhibit, which he was not allowed to show us directly since the exhibit was free to the public.  Since the library does not own all of the items, several pieces are on loan, not an easy feat since 2012 is the bicentenary of his birth, those items are in demand. Special features were put into place such as blowing up objects such as a note handwritten by Dickens as a child to a friend or using small magnets to hold posters to the wall. Even his wife Catherine’s cookbook received a spotlight.

I finished the day with a tour of New Gate College with a small group of students, led by Anthony. Since Anthony has a long history with Oxford, he was able to show us areas such as the garden, complete with a well maintained section of the City Walls, the dining hall which was quite stately, and provide us with a breakdown of the purpose, such as vicar, students housing, etc. Before heading to the bus, Deimosa and I toured the Ashmolean Museum, the oldest museum in Britain.