August News and September Reminders

We trust everyone is having a relaxing summer? Before we get on to the news from last month, please note:

St Giles’ Fair

The Library is CLOSED for St Giles’ Fair as usual, from Saturday 3rd (tomorrow as I post this) to Tuesday 6th. We will re-open at 0900 on Wednesday.

Having been in the building on other fair-days I can assure anyone who feels aggrieved about us being closed that you really don’t want to be trying to concentrate when all you can hear is the bloodcurdling screams of people on the rides directly behind Blackfriars’ at the back of the building, not to mention several conflicting bass lines from the music. Best to stay away, read at the Bodleian, where it’s quieter, maybe venture out for some candy floss?

Muller Library Books

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/14676916.VIDEO__Crews_tackle_fire_at_Oxford_University_building_in_Walton_Street/

The Leopold Muller Library remains closed following the fire at the Clarendon Institute on Walton Street on August 11th. We are as yet not sure when the Estates Department will allow general access to the building again, but in the meantime readers who wish to consult books held at the Muller Library are advised to contact the staff, who will bring their books to the Oriental Institute. Readers ordering books from the BSF will have their books delivered to us, and staff will also bring round lending books which we can then check out in the usual way. If the situation continues for a long time we may have a member of the Muller Library staff working on-site at the Oriental Institute, but as yet we do not know whether this will be necessary.

Building Works

We are happy to report that the builders have now finished in the library and the skylights have been successfully replaced. The scaffolding towers have gone and we are able to use the back office again, which had been completely emptied to allow for coverings on the ceiling. As I write this, the scaffolders are removing the rest of their structures from above the library, so things should quieten down nicely next week!

Thank you to everyone for their forbearance in the face of much drilling/banging and off-key singing (or so I am told by other colleagues).

We now have nice, new, brighter (and opening – but only in the back office) skylights which will hopefully hold in the heat a bit better in the winter, and are much less yellow and scruffy than the old ones were!