If, on a visit to the Bodleian Law Library, you happen to be perusing the shelves for some particular tome, you might come across a large gap on a shelf with a slip left there in the space. It will simply say the title of the publication, the number of volumes, the shelf mark and the cryptic comment “At desk for filing”. This task is undertaken every day and consists of updates to legal publications from all over the world – the outcome is akin to walking up a descending escalator when just as you think you’ve reached the top another wave of filing arrives! Each update offers unique printers’ instructions: some use Roman numerals, others Arabic ones, sections are moved to other volumes, renamed or discarded. In fact, the possibilities are multitudinous! Occasionally this guidance contains an error which makes the loose-leaf filer question their sanity. Luckily, when they realise the fault is not an error of judgement pencil comments are written, with great relish, next to the relevant section so that the next loose-leaf filer/reader is warned of this perilous problem.
When an update is finished, any pages which have been removed are neatly tied together with a piece of red ribbon. To do this takes great skill involving threading the ribbon through a highly sophisticated piece of technology (i.e. a paper-clip which has been opened up) and then poking it through the thick wad of paper (not as easy as it sounds as usually all the holes are unaligned). There is a mythical story in the Bodleian Law Library that, once upon a time, a darning needle was used instead of a paper-clip but no-one will go on record to confirm this and to this day its whereabouts are unknown.
This small preface is necessary to highlight a loose-leaf filing phenomenon that happened on Sunday 15th June .
After a gargantuan effort, the weekend team believe they hold the record for the tallest loose-leaf filing update ever witnessed; certainly in the Bodleian, possibly even the world. This colossus measured in at 28 cms in height and could only be lifted by extremely strong people as it was also quite heavy. Sadly, apart from two photographs (see pics) which are a testament to this awesome achievement, this towering update no longer exists as it was recycled (they usually are).
So, what is the fate of this great Herculean task?
Rather ominously, there are dark rumours that loose-leaf filing, as we know it, faces extinction. The digital age means it may have an un’App’y future indeed!
