Hello! My name is Léa, and I am one of the two trainees at the Bodleian Law Library this year. The Bodleian Law Library is a reference-only library located in the St. Cross Building in Oxford. As well as working at the Law Library, I also spend one day a week at the Sainsbury Library at the Saïd Business School (one of the first buildings you will see when coming out of the train station).
Before moving to Oxford I very recently graduated from UCL where I completed a BSc in Psychology with Education – a subject I very much enjoyed! During my studies I worked as a gallery assistant, research and nursery assistant, and I volunteered at a small LGBT+ library in London. It was these experiences (working in educational environments, with datafiles, books and limited-edition art prints, as well as supporting customers) that led me to apply for this traineeship. I was delighted to be offered the position, and to now be here in Oxford!
While the other Bodleian Law Library trainee is based in Academic Services, I am based in Information Resources. Throughout the day I help re-shelve books, handle scan and delivery requests, and do some book moving to create more shelf-space. But, for the most part, much of my time has been spent in my office with books – receiving legal deposit items, stamping, tattling, labelling and red-dotting books, updating spreadsheets, and working on book displays. With students now beginning to arrive, I am also anticipating a great many questions at the Enquiry Desk, which means I must continue to brush up on my knowledge of legal citations and the Bodleian Law Library’s layout!
So far, it has been a really interesting and exciting few weeks in Oxford. Everyone has been incredibly kind and welcoming, and I have really enjoyed learning more about librarianship and what goes on behind the scenes in academic libraries. I am very much looking forward to making the most of my time here, working in two libraries, attending training sessions with fellow graduate trainees, getting involved in the MOYS reclassification project at the Bodleian Law Library, and exploring Oxford; its colleges, gardens, libraries and museums!
