Beth Watkins, Taylor Bodleian Slavonic & Modern Greek Library (TABS)

My name is Beth, and I’m the new trainee at TABS. I finished my BA in Russian at Leeds University this year, and after a break I’m here in Oxford! I decided to work in libraries this year, because I spend a lot of my time in libraries, and I love the atmosphere of these buildings. I wanted to work at the Slavonic so that I could use what I had learnt at university on a daily basis, and being here means that I can continue harbouring my  interest in Eastern European languages, history and literature.

The Taylor Slavonic Library. Not as glamorous as some of the others at the moment, but still wonderful.
The Taylor Slavonic Library. Not as glamorous as some of the others at the moment, but still wonderful.

Wednesday in my second week was my first day at TABS, as until then it had been closed for refurbishment. This is an ongoing project, and won’t be finished until at least next year, so the builders are still here and the top two floors are currently closed! However, I’m already enjoying my time here, and find it fascinating to see our library’s collection!

In my first week, I worked in the Taylor on the enquiry desk. The Taylor is a brilliant library, and I’m glad to have had a chance to see what it is like to work there, and to be able to compare the goings on of two different libraries. Next semester, there may be the opportunity to return to the Taylor for a term, so that I could get more experience in a different library. That would be something I would love to do, although perhaps I’ll be too smitten with TABS to leave!

I’m only into my third week at TABS, but I’ve already learnt a lot about how the library works, and met so many of the regular patrons. Everyone so far has been incredibly welcoming, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the rest of my year in Oxford holds for me.

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