The evenings are getting quieter, the libraries are getting chillier, and the returns trolleys are piled high with books… it must be the end of Michaelmas term! It’s been an eventful eight weeks across the libraries: we’ve marked Black History Month and Disability History Month, contributed to Green Libraries Week, put on exhibitions about great academics and gothic artists, and even found a little extra time to do some library tours. The work doesn’t stop just because the students have gone home, and we’ve got plenty to do over the holidays, but the end of term is a chance to breathe out and get ready for the new year. In the meantime, here’s a quick blog update looking back at our first few months on the job.
Some very crafty book displays made by Summer!(Social Science Library)
This term has gone as quickly as the daylight hours, but it’s been great to watch the business school get steadily more festive – especially after the fairy lights were strung up outside the library window! I’ve had so many enjoyable moments over the past eight weeks: learning the curious (and sometimes frustrating) world of Leganto with Anna (our Collections & Instructional Materials Assistant), getting involved with the Oxford Futures Library archives, and even running a crochet workshop with Cui (our Circulation & Customer Service Librarian) – she’s already made some beautiful bookmarks despite only taking up crochet this term! I’ve also greatly appreciated the variety of work I’ve been able to do with the Rare Books team at the Weston Library during my time there this month. All in all, this term has encouraged me to approach the rest of the traineeship with confidence, and I’m excited to keep developing my skills and shaping my trainee project as we head into the new year.
Heidi Cruft, Sainsbury Library
A lot has happened in the Art library this term- I’ve scanned a lot of book chapters, issued and returned a lot of material, packaged a lot of interlibrary loans, filled and emptied a lot of crates, helped (at least I hope) a lot of readers- and endured a few broken lifts, exploding radiators and technical issues along the way. It’s been really satisfying to slowly get the hang of more things and better understand the scale of things going on to keep a library running- it’s not just stamping books! I’ve really enjoyed the training sessions this term- especially the visit to the special collections at the Weston- and loved spending a full week at the Taylor Institution. Next term I plan to get stuck into my trainee project in sorting out the chaotic Haverfield room, and helping the subject librarians with some collections management.
Olly Marshall, Art, Archaeology and Ancient World Library
Term passed in the blink of an eye, but it’s been a lot of fun. The HFL is a really interesting place to work because there’s always something going on: from VIP events to student inductions to spontaneous explosions (not a joke!), this job definitely keeps you on your toes. I’ve reviewed reading lists, done inventory checks, sent damaged items off for repair, hunted for missing books, and kept track of the infinite spreadsheets required for all those tasks. I’m really enjoying getting to work behind the scenes and keep things operating smoothly for readers, and I appreciate the amount of work that goes into running an academic library even more now. While it’s hard to pick out just one thing, a highlight of my term has been getting started on my very collections-focused trainee project, and I’m looking forward to delving deeper into archives and special collections next term. For now, though, I need a few calm weeks to take advantage of the millions of books just waiting to be read (the real perk of the job). Catherine Birch, History Faculty Library
Isaac Newton is feeling festive (Old Bodleian)
Voltaire wanted to dress up too! (Taylor Institution)
Michaelmas has gone by so quickly! This term has been a lot of desk time, displays, photography, and using the mysterious trainee power to arrange meetings with interesting people within the Bodleian. I’ve made themed displays (I especially loved my Halloween one), started photographing all the rooms in the Taylorian for a social media bank, and helped readers find many a book. The most interesting training for me this term has been the visits to the Weston to see the rare books and conservation work, and to CSF (the Bodleian Offsite Storage facility). I’ve made a lot of headway on my project, which involves designing a creative public outreach event for the Strachan collection of Livres d’Artiste / Artist’s Books. I’ve sent a lot of emails to all sorts of people, who have been more than happy to help me with my idea. My favourite days are the ones I can sit in the archives room and go through the collection while listening to music. In Hilary term, I’m looking forward to the training with the Centre for the Study of the Book, where we’ll learn about printing methods, and get to use a hand-operated printing press! Jules McGee-Russell (they/them), Taylor Institution Library
It’s been a busy Michaelmas term here at the SSL. Going from the whirlwind of over 100 library tours for new students in 0/1st week to emptying out after 8th week, the library almost feels eerily quiet without the readers. But just because most students have gone, does not mean the workroom has got any quieter – from an influx of new reading lists to review and books to process, to hunting for missing books and working on my two projects – there’s been plenty to keep me busy! The SSL has received 2 donations that make up the bulk of my project work – 40 boxes of working papers from the University of Bradford and 70 shelves of books from a single donor. I now have endless hours of work transcribing book spines and embellishing Alma catalogue records to keep me busy when the rest of the library gets too quiet! Along with enjoying getting stuck into my project work, one of my highlights this term has been working on the new book displays – from Black History and Disability History months to Bonfire Night and Winter Wellbeing, it’s been great fun researching interesting and unusual books in the CSF that I can add to my displays. I’m looking forward to the training sessions of next term, particularly the one around student wellbeing initiatives in the libraries, and I’m sure Hilary term will go by as quickly as Michaelmas did!
Who doesn’t love a book display? We’re sure you want to know all about the books we’ve displayed this month, and we are here to provide!
Trainees often end up working on book displays throughout their year, and we’re no different. A few lucky trainees got to start working on their first displays within our initial few weeks. Each library has their own approach to displays, with unique spaces, signage, and book selections.
The theme for Black History Month 2025 is ‘Power and Pride’, where Power represents ‘the influence, leadership, and capacity to effect positive change’ and Pride reflects ‘cultural identity, heritage, and the celebration of Black excellence.’
Here’s our takes on the Black History Month theme this year, with a spotlight on some of our favourite books.
Taylor Institution Library – Jules McGee-Russell
My first reaction when I found out I’d be taking on the displays at the Taylor was, admittedly, panic. I had one week to research suitable books from our collections, which are mostly made up of books in languages I can’t read, with historical contexts I don’t know much about. Luckily, after many hours searching our catalogue on SOLO, chats with Subject Librarians and colleagues, and several trips up and down all our stairs, I had a very nice stack of books from both the Teaching and Research Collections.
I wanted to stick closely to the theme and include as many different languages and cultures as I could. I chose books that focused on Black European visionaries and icons of influence, Black excellence in the arts, the power of Black protest movements, and Black experiences across Europe. I made an effort to include books from as many areas of our library as possible. I ended up with books including Germany, Portugal, Brazil, France, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Wales, Russia, Linguistics, fiction (poetry), and biography. Not bad for a speedy one-week display!
I hope my display showcases the breadth of our collections and will encourage readers to explore this area in their studies.
I was able to put the large display in the Teaching Collection, right next to the Issue desk and the Self-Issue machine, where plenty of people will see it!
Books included:
Aimé Césaire : inventor of souls by Jane Hiddleston.
This biography focuses on one of the most influential Caribbean literary writers, Césaire. Césaire was a Martinican poet, playwright, politician, and co-founder of the movement ‘Négritude’, which sought to restore the cultural identity of Black Africans.
Black Paris : the African writers’ landscape by Bennetta Jules-Rosette ; foreword by Simon Njami.
Black Paris explores three generations of African writers in Paris between 1947 and the mid-1990s. Using archival, ethnographic, and historical research in addition to interviews with writers of the new generation, this book explores their writing and identity.
Blues in schwarz weiss nachtgesang : Gedichteby May Ayim.
This poetry collection is written by established Afro-German writer/activist, May Ayim.
Farbe bekennen : Afro-deutsche Frauen auf den Spuren ihrer Geschichte by May Ayim, Katharina Oguntoye, Dagmar Schultz (Hg.)
A collection of texts by Afro-German women about their experiences.
Mapping Black Europe : monuments, markers, memories by Natasha A. Kelly.
This text highlights unrecognised contributions by Black communities to the cultural landscapes of eight European cities. Black scholars and activists examine monuments, markers, and memorials to excavate these obscured narratives.
This biography centres on Frantz Fanon, an influential Martinican psychoanalyst and social philosopher, known for his notable works Black Skin, White Masks and The Wretched of the Earth, about the effects of colonialism on racial consciousness.
Language in the inner city; studies in the Black English vernacular by William Labov.
Originally published in 1972, “Labov probed the question “Does ‘Black English’ exist?” and emerged with an answer that was well ahead of his time, and that remains essential to our contemporary understanding of the subject.”
Mobilizing Black Germany : Afro-German women and the making of a transnational movement by Tiffany N. Florvil.
“Tiffany N. Florvil examines the role of queer and straight women in shaping the contours of the modern Black German movement as part of the Black internationalist opposition to racial and gender oppression…including Audre Lorde’s role in influencing their activism; the activists who inspired Afro-German women to curate their own identities and histories; and the evolution of the activist groups Initiative of Black Germans (ISD) and Afro-German Women (ADEFRA).”
Signs of dissent : Maryse Condé and postcolonial criticism by Dawn Fulton.
“Maryse Condé is a Guadeloupean writer and critic whose work has challenged the categories of race, language, gender, and geography that inform contemporary literary and critical debates. In Signs of Dissent, the first full-length study in English on Condé, Dawn Fulton situates this award-winning author’s work in the context of current theories of cultural identity in order to foreground Condé’s unique contributions to these discussions.”
The stolen prince : Gannibal, adopted son of Peter the Great, great-grandfather of Alexander Pushkin, and Europe’s first black intellectual by Hugh Barnes.
This book focuses on the historical figure of Gannibal, a kidnapped and enslaved young African who was adopted by tsar Peter the Great, who “soared to dizzying heights as a soldier, diplomat, mathematician and spy” and “founded a dynasty of his own in Russia, where he came to embody the strengths and weaknesses of the country itself.”
Terms of inclusion : Black intellectuals in twentieth-century Brazilby Paulina L. Alberto.
“In this history of black thought and racial activism in twentieth-century Brazil, Paulina Alberto demonstrates that black intellectuals, and not just elite white Brazilians, shaped discourses about race relations and the cultural and political terms of inclusion in their modern nation.”
Tribuna Negra : origens do movimento negro em Portugal (1911-1933)by Cristina Roldão, José Augusto Pereira e Pedro Varela.
This book highlights the little-known Black movement in 1911-1933 Lisbon that “fought racism, demanded rights for populations in colonized territories, and… engag[ed] in dialogue with forms of Black internationalism, such as Pan-Africanism.”
Globalising Welsh studies : decolonising history, heritage, society and culture,edited by Neil Evans and Charlotte Williams.
This text explores “the development of Welsh Studies through the lens of race/ethnicity. Contributors from history, heritage studies, literature, film, policy, social and cultural studies offer case analyses adopting new perspectives, theoretical routes and methodological innovations, with the aim of illustrating aspects of the decolonising of knowledge production.”
Voices of negritude in modernist print : aesthetic subjectivity, diaspora, and the lyric regimeby Carrie Noland.
“Carrie Noland approaches Negritude as an experimental, text-based poetic movement developed by diasporic authors of African descent through the means of modernist print culture. Engaging primarily the works of Aimé Césaire and Léon-Gontran Damas, Noland shows how the demands of print culture alter the personal voice of each author, transforming an empirical subjectivity into a hybrid, textual entity that she names, after Theodor Adorno, an “aesthetic subjectivity.””
Luckily, unlike some of the other trainees, I had plenty of notice to work on my Black History Month display – it’s been in the works since mid-September! With 22 books covering a broad range of social science subjects from our collection, it proved to be quite the research challenge for my first month!
My aim for the display was to represent as many areas of the social science subjects as possible, while showcasing broader aspects of Black British history. During my research, I was particularly interested to discover several titles in the Bodleian’s collection that focus on Black activism within the University of Oxford. Two that stood out were Malcolm X at Oxford Union: Racial Politics in a Global Era by Saladin M. Ambar and Rhodes Must Fall: The Struggle for Justice at the Heart of Empire ed. by Brian Kwoba, Roseanne Chantiluke, and Athinangamso Nkopo.
This made it all the more disappointing when some books arrived from Swindon in plain black hardback covers, with their vibrant dust jackets removed for preservation. As a result, there are a few titles I would have loved to include in the SSL’s book display that, unfortunately, didn’t make the final cut. Overall, though, I’m happy with the selection of titles in the book display and the balance between academic texts, Women political leaders in Africa by Rosemari Skaine, alongside poetry and fiction texts: Saluting our sisters ed. by Cherron Inko-Tariah, and Girl, woman, other by Bernardine Evaristo.
Art, Archaeology and Ancient World Library – Olly Marshall
With our collections split into a few distinct subject areas, it can be difficult when making displays for all of them to be properly represented. We have loads of fantastic resources on black artists in our upper floor collections, but I was particularly keen on displaying resources on black voices in archaeology which are often overlooked both within the wider field of archaeology and within our own collections. Some of the highlights included:
The first Black archaeologist: a life of John Wesley Gilbert by John W.I. Lee.
This biography looks at the life of John Wesley Gilbert, from his education in segregated Georgia in the late 19th century, his research trip to Greece with the American School of Classical Studies at Athens in 1890-1891, returning to become Paine College’s first black faculty hire and his missionary work later in his life.
Black Feminist Archaeology by Whitney Battle-Baptiste.
This book is the first of its kind in outlining how black feminist thought and philosophy can be applied to archaeological theory and practise. Battle-Baptiste calls for a more sensitive look at race and gender within the archaeological field, and offers Black Feminist Archaeology as a method by which to look at the plantation home of Andrew Jackson, the W. E. B. DuBois homesite and the Lucy Foster homestead- the first archaeological excavation of an African American home.
African Connections: Archaeological Perspectives on Africa and the Wider World by Peter Mitchell.
Peter Mitchell offers an analysis of Africa’s identity within the wider world- looking at what archaeology can illuminate about trade routes, the spread of farming systems and the experiences of the African diaspora. Though the book looks at early expansion out of Africa in the Pleistocene the story is mainly that of Africa in the Holocene, a sorely neglected subject in the field. Mitchell confronts this neglect by emphasising early on that “Africa’s inhabitants interacted with those of other landmasses, not merely as consumers or dependents, but as equal partners in exchange and active donors of goods, ideas and people.”
Documenting activism, creating change: archaeology and the legacy of #MeToo edited by Hannah Cobb and Kayt Hawkins.
Multiple authors contributed to this volume sharing their experiences as women in working in archaeology and how women within the sector navigate social media in the face of online harassment based on gender and race. Several chapters look at the state of sexism and online activist circles in specific countries. Chapter 19, “In Pursuit of Systemic Equality: The UK’s First Network For Ethnically Diverse Staff In Development-Led Archaeology” reflects on the state of diversity in archaeology in the UK, the groups, committees and alliances that work to improve it and how this aim for diversity can affect the practise of archaeology itself. This book also has a chapter on mentorship for women in archaeology and could be an enlightening resource for anyone working in the sector.
A full list of the books and a more in-depth look at some of our art collections can be seen on the art library blog.
Bodleian Library – Catherine Birch and Rebecca Cartwright
While trainees in the Old Bodleian aren’t in charge of curating our library’s displays, we thought we should let everyone know what the Bodleian has been doing to mark Black History Month.
Our physical book display in the Gladstone Link is focused on themes of activism, resistance, and liberation in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, taking material from the History lending shelves. We’ve also signposted a few ebooks from our collection, looking at black identities and intersectionality in Britain. There’s a broad range of texts spanning different historical disciplines, time periods, and places, reflecting the richness of Black history in the United Kingdom. If you’re unsure where to start, try checking out these texts:
There Ain’t No Black in the Union Jack by Paul Gilroy.
Originally published in 1987, this book examines racial politics and race relations in the UK and argues that the (then contemporary) sociological model of race and culture is inherently flawed. Predominantly researched and written during a period of significant racial tension in Britain, the book caused controversy after Gilroy accused left- AND right-wing intellectuals and leaders of failing to properly consider race in their politics. Almost 40 years later, it has held up as a foundational study of the relationship between race, class, and nationality. This edition also contains an edited introduction, where Gilroy reflects on the change he had seen since the book was first published.
Rhodes Must Fall: The Struggle to Decolonise the Racist Heart of Empire by the Rhodes Must Fall Movement (Oxford).
This collection of writings on the Rhodes Must Fall movement has close links to the university. It was compiled and edited by members of Rhodes Must Fall Oxford, a group founded in 2016 in solidarity with anticolonial student protests at the University of Cape Town. The Oxford chapter’s aim was to decolonise the university’s curriculum and remove a statue of Cecil Rhodes from Oriel College. The book sets out their arguments as to why Rhodes shouldn’t be honoured, exploring the modern legacy of colonialism and the enduring impact of racism and empire on all aspects of Western life. While much has changed in the 7 years since this book was published, it reflects a pivotal moment in the university’s history, and it remains a thought-provoking read.
We Were There by Lanre Bakare.
On this “road trip around Black Britain… this time, London is in the back seat, and Bradford’s our driver. Liverpool’s choosing the music. Edinburgh’s navigating.”[1] Often, black history in Britain is confined to the urban southeast. Areas like Cardiff, Manchester, or Bradford (where Bakare was born) are a footnote, and rural black lives are overlooked entirely. This book seeks to move beyond this conception and illuminate aspects of British history we’re yet to fully explore. It’s a recent publication which looks to the future as well as the past, emphasising that blackness and black culture is not universal, modular, or static. Filled with humour and introspection, it questions what it actually means to be a Black Briton, not just a Londoner.
We’ve also picked out some books from our wellbeing display in the Old Bodleian which embody this year’s theme. When you next need a study break, take a look at these:
Celebrations: Rituals of Peace and Prayer by Maya Angelou.
Maya Angelou is widely recognised as one of the most significant poets of the twentieth century, and this anthology brings together some of her most famous works. Angelou was not just a great writer and artist – she was closely involved with the civil rights movement in the USA, and was a fierce activist throughout her life. Her life and her writings truly embody the theme of “Standing Firm in Power and Pride”, and her legacy is one felt here as well as in the United States. ‘Celebrations’ contains 12 poems about peace, love, and hope, and is a great book to dip into whenever you need some joy.
Self-Care for Black Men: 100 Ways to Heal and Liberate by Jor-El Caraballo, LMHC.
‘Self-Care for Black Men’ does what it says on the tin: the book is a guide to coping with racism, prejudice, and intergenerational trauma as a modern Black man. Carabello is writing for men who feel like they don’t have access to the support that they need, offering guidance on how to take care of yourself and your wellbeing in a constructive manner. The book is full of Black pride and empowerment, with 100 meditations on identity, respect, and personal dignity. For those feeling insecure or emotionally drained, it could be a very useful read.
If these have interested you, or you want to learn more, check out our HFL blog post for a full list of the books on display in the Upper Link. Our Wellbeing display is available year-round and is located at the top of the North Stairs in the Old Bodleian.
Signpost – Events
If you liked our displays and want to see more of what the university have to offer, come along to the Weston Library on Wednesday 29th October for a chance to see some unique items from the university’s Special Collections. There’ll be a show-and-tell of archival material focused on black lives in history, with the opportunity to learn about racial activism and black culture in Britain from the nineteenth century onwards. The event is free to attend – to learn more and register attendance, visit the Oxford SU website.
The Ashmolean has also recently unveiled a new display: ‘Shedding Light’. An evolution of the earlier installation ‘A Nice Cup of Tea?’, this room was carefully crafted to tell a story about the interconnected histories of slavery, colonialism, sugar production, and ceramics. It takes the form of a 1950s-60s Caribbean living room filled with books, records, ceramic, and life – viewers are encouraged to literally read the room. It’s an interesting lens into British Caribbean heritage and intergenerational experiences, with a particular focus on the sugar trade and how this shaped black lives and culture. It’s located in the European Ceramics Gallery on the second floor and is intended to be a permanent fixture in the museum.
March is Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day fell on 8th March, which means that it’s time for another book display update from the Trainees! In this post, you will find information all about the book displays that were put together in the Social Science Library, New College Library, Taylor Institution Library, and the Sainsbury Library at Saïd Business School.
Happy Women’s History Month! We do love our book displays here at the SSL and this month is definitely no exception. For this display, I was able to collaborate with a few colleagues to create an extensive two-part book display.
While creating this display, I decided to set myself a challenge. I wanted to include at least one book on the subject of at least one woman from as many of the subjects that are housed in the Social Science Library as possible. This was definitely not an easy feat as we house a wide variety of subjects such as Politics & International Relations, Economics, Anthropology, Geography, International Development, Refugee and Forced Migration Studies, Sociology and more. For the other section of the display, one of my colleagues compiled the books on women’s history more generally.
In deciding to try and create a display with women from each of our subjects, I was able to explore new historical figures that I had not been previously aware of. Some of the subject librarians in the SSL were kind enough to give me some suggestions of women to research and I added many of them to the display. Here is the list of books about these women that were included in this display with the name of the women written in bold:
The theme for International Woman’s Day this year was Accelerate Action. Although I did not follow a specific theme for this display, the inclusion of women from a wide range of disciplines was of paramount importance to me, as each of these women have been a notable force for change in their fields. Some of these women you may have heard of, some you may be unfamiliar with. Nevertheless, I would highly recommend that you look into the impact that they have made on their fields. If you would like more information on the book display, I also wrote a blog post for the Social Science Library Blog.
Jess Pascal – New College Library
For this year’s Women’s History Month display, I first checked out last year’s display so I could avoid repeating too many books and give others a chance in the limelight, though some were just too good to miss! In the same spirit, I drew on as many interesting acquisitions I’ve seen recently as possible – this is an advantage of processing the majority of new books that come into the library. A particularly useful source of new books about women’s history was the Warden’s kind donation of all the books longlisted for the Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize for non-fiction books, which is associated with New College. This included several titles on women’s history, including The Waiting Game and Shakespeare’s Sisters.
Fortunately, there were a lot of books to choose from on women’s history – the hardest part of this display was getting my initial longlist down to just 12 books! In line with the UN’s theme for International Women’s Day this year, ‘For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment’, I aimed to represent a diverse cross-section of women’s history within the scope of the library’s collections. Nevertheless, the display has a bias towards English women, as they are most represented in the library here at New College to align with teaching priorities.
Books used:
Ackelsberg, Martha A. Free Women of Spain: Anarchism and the Struggle for the Emancipation of Women. AK Press, 2005.
Briggs, Robin. The Witches of Lorraine. Oxford University Press, 2007.
Burke, Jill. How to Be a Renaissance Woman: The Untold History of Beauty and Female Creativity. Profile Books Ltd, 2023.
Clark, Nicola. The Waiting Game: The Untold Story of the Women Who Served the Tudor Queens. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2024.
Ferry, Georgina. Dorothy Hodgkin: A Life. Granta Books, 1998.
Gregory, Philippa. Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History. William Collins, 2023.
Jenkins, Lyndsey. Sisters and Sisterhood: The Kenney Family, Class, and Suffrage, 1890-1965. Oxford University Press, 2021.
Romney, Rebecca. Jane Austen’s Bookshelf: The Women Writers Who Shaped a Legend. Ithaka, 2025.
Rupp, Leila J. Worlds of Women: The Making of an International Women’s Movement. Princeton University Press, 1997.
Saunders, Corinne J., and Diane Watt, editors. Women and Medieval Literary Culture: From the Early Middle Ages to the Fifteenth Century. Cambridge University Press, 2023.
Simone, Nina, and Stephen Cleary. I Put a Spell on You: The Autobiography of Nina Simone. Second Da Capo Press edition., Da Capo Press, 2003.
Targoff, Ramie. Shakespeare’s Sisters: Four Women Who Wrote the Renaissance. riverrun, 2024.
Lindsey Evans – Taylor Institution Library
For our Women’s History Month display, I was keen to showcase books and films about women’s achievements across the breadth of cultures represented in the library’s collections. Since the Taylor covers a very wide range of modern European languages – from French to Frisian, Spanish to Yiddish – this gave plenty of scope. Almost a daunting amount of scope, in fact.
The finished displays (with one item taken away by an interested reader 😊 )
For the broad topic of ‘women’, it would have been impractical to canvas everyone in the team of subject librarians for recommendations. (Also this month we have a dedicated St Patrick’s Day display going up, which has been curated by our Celtic subject librarian, Janet.) And so I began a solo process with SOLO, the catalogue, to narrow things down.
Initially my thinking went to works by, or about, celebrated female authors and feminist theorists, past and present. (“One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman,” wrote Simone de Beauvoir, on whom there are several hundreds of books in the Taylor, for example.) Another consideration in my mind, however, was to highlight the impact of women whose voices might be less well known. In the end, I settled on a range of titles documenting women’s contributions to art, politics or society at different points in history and in various language communities. These women include crofters in the Hebrides, Welsh women shaking up the status quo, powerful noblewomen of 18th-19th century Russia, female creators in 19th century Germany, and sisters (in the literal sense of blood relatives) who were active in Irish public life over the ages.
With the Taylor being home to a large DVD collection, and even a bookable space for library users to watch them in, it’s also great to be able to publicise films as well as books on a theme. I chose a sample of films by foreign-language female directors to highlight women’s contribution to cinema. I aimed to include some directors who are less familiar to Western audiences, so alongside the French filmmakers Agnès Varda, Céline Sciamma and Claire Denis, we also find the Czech director Věra Chytilová, Ann Hui of Hong Kong and the Saudi Arabian director Haifaa al-Mansour.
Charlotte Edwards – Sainsbury Library
As the Sainsbury Library is embedded into Saïd Business School , I was able to see the celebrations for International Women’s Day extend through the whole school. We had a women’s day themed social, the catering team put together a great cake display (photographed by my supervisor) and there was a book talk by Iris Bohnet and Siri Chilazi on their new book Make Work Fair: Data-Driven Design for Real Results (which I of course included in our book display in the library!).
More focussed in the library, I also gave the Sainsbury Library Women in Business Libguide a refresh, including some of the books I found as part of my book display research.
It was nice to be able to highlight some physical books unique to the Sainsbury Library:
A book talk was hosted at Saïd Business School on 10th March when Bohnet and Chilazi presented their evidence-based approach to create fairness in the workplace by providing an even playing field. In line with this year’s theme, Accelerating Action, they present ‘Actionable solutions’ to establish this fairness in the workplace.
Appearing on our Inclusive Leadership reading list, I discovered this book by a colleague’s recommendation. This comic covers the sometimes-frustrating reality of being a woman in a male dominated workplace in an engaging, easily digestible form. And yes, I ended up reading this in one sitting.
The Lockdown Lowdown: Graphic Narrative for Viral Times are graphic narratives written by a diverse range of artists during the first COVID lockdown in 2020. The series highlights the strange experiences and emotions felt during this time. This special edition of The Lockdown Lowdown demonstrates how women experienced the pandemic differently to men, both negatively and positively. In a textbook-heavy library it is exciting and refreshing to find other narrative forms such as The Lockdown Lowdown and The Mental Load.
This book is based on research about Business but is formatted as a novel. Ho creates a narrative intended to begin a conversation between people from friends and family to co-workers. The variety of characters across different genders and ages aids in giving readers new perspectives on the issue as to why it is so hard to close the gender gap.
When browsing our shelves in the Annexe, I came across this book and admittedly loved the title. Chamorro-Premuzic explores why competent women and men who don’t fit the stereotypical leader profile (many organizations identify leadership with negative qualities like overconfidence and narcissism) are passed over for leadership roles. And the negative impact of this. Chamorro-Premuzic explains what really makes a leader and how new systems could rectify having the wrong people in charge.
Aimed at students, researchers, practitioners and policymakers, this book presents research coming from the International Development Research Centre’s (IDRC) Growth and Economic Opportunities for Women (GrOW) programme. The research covers topics such as unpaid domestic work and childcare, the influence of social and cultural norms that prevent women participating in better paid economic sectors and more in the Global South.
When researching for books I tried to keep my focus very Business and Management based, drawing on some books that are on reading lists for Inclusive Leadership. As World Book Day was happening whilst I was compiling my display (for which we had another book display) I also thought to include some more general feminist literature, so some of my book display picks may already be known to you, but hopefully there is something new here as well.
February is LGBT+ History Month. Across the Bodleian and college libraries, the Graduate Trainees have been hard at work creating displays that showcase a wide array of books which explore and celebrate LGBT+ history.
The Oxford Union Society Library
The Oxford Union Society’s LGBT+ History Month display explores LGBT+ history from across the world.
Homosexuality in ancient Greece is discussed through famous historical figures like Sappho, the romantic poet who is widely believed to have been lesbian (indeed, she lived on the Isle of Lesbos which is where the word “Lesbian” comes from),[1] and Ovid who wrote in his Art of Love that ‘a boy’s love appealed to me less’ – although this was later deliberately mistranslated as ‘a boy’s love appealed to me not at all’.[2] This censorship is not unusual, though amusingly some writers who translated Greek texts would translate the more risqué passages into Latin, thus counterintuitively highlighting the very sections they wanted obscured.[3]
Additionally, ancient Greek literature is used to explore LGBT history: Plato’s Symposium includes a brilliantly varied discussion of the origin of man in which Aristophanes, a comic, suggests that humans used to be two beings fused together, some male and female, others male and male and yet others female and female. These original humans were split in half by the angry gods and that is why we search for our “other half”.[4]
Transsexualism and homosexuality in various parts of Asia are also discussed:
In Mesopotamia, the deity of love and war, Ishtar, could be depicted as either male or female depending on what aspect of divinity the artist wished to portray. Ishtar’s male followers were even considered feminine and their sexual identity ‘in some way irregular’.[5]
The Hindu deity Lakshminarayan is a combination of two deities: male Vishnu and female Lakshmi. Similarly, the deity Ardhanarishvara represents the goddess Parvati and the god Shiva (who is romantic with Vishnu and even gives birth!).[6]
Japanese and Persian cultures are discussed through comparing Japanese samurai, who often had relationships with their pages and juniors and valued male love, with a similar practice in Persian royal courts.[7]
Modern British history, on the other hand, is filled with the poor treatment of LGBT+ people. In the 18th century homosexuality was a capital offence and the word “Molly” was used as a term of abuse towards flamboyant men.[8] In 1895, Oscar Wilde was tried for being gay and imprisoned in Reading gaol,[9] and in 1952 Alan Turing was discovered to be homosexual and charged with ‘gross indecency’ and chemically castrated.[10] Later in the 20th century, homosexuals were interrogated and discharged from the armed forces.[11] In fact, homosexuals were banned from British Armed Forces up until 2000.[12]
LGBT+ history is varied and fascinating. If you’d like to learn more about how it has been celebrated at the Oxford Union, check out the posts about the display for Transgender Awareness Week 2023 on Twitter and Facebook.
[1] R.B. Parkinson. 2013. A little gay history : desire and diversity across the world. 306.766 PAR
[2] Simon LeVay. 2012. Gay, straight, and the reason why : the science of sexual orientation. 155.3 LEV
[3] John Boswell. 1982. Christianity, social tolerance, and homosexuality : gay people in Western Europe from the beginning of the Christian era to the fourteenth century. 306.766 2 BOS
[4] Simon LeVay. 2012.
[5] R.B. Parkinson. 2013.
[6] Ibid
[7] Ibid
[8] Simon LeVay. 2012.
[9] Hugh David. 1997. On queer street : a social history of British homosexuality, 1895-1995. 306.766 DAV.
[10] Andrew Hodges. 1992. Alan Turing : the enigma. 510 HOD.
[11] Edmund Hall. 1995. We can’t even march straight : Homosexuality in the British Armed Forces. 306.766 094 1 HAL.
[12] Ministry of Defence, Cabinet Office, Office for Veterans’ Affairs, The Rt Hon Dr Andrew Murrison MP, The Rt Hon Johnny Mercer MP, The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP, and The Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP. 2023. ‘Government apologises to veterans for egregious historic LGBT policy in the Armed Forces: The PM and Defence Secretary apologise to LGBT personnel and veterans impacted by the historic ban.’ Gov.uk. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-apologises-to-veterans-for-egregious-historic-lgbt-policy-in-the-armed-forces
Connie Hubbard
The Taylor Institution Library
The study of LGBT+ history is a rapidly growing field in academia. This is reflected in Oxford University’s Centre for Gender, Identity and Subjectivity, as well as the LGBTQ+ History Faculty Network which runs fortnightly seminars and research sessions (@oulgbtqhistory). As for the Taylorian, we have a growing focus on gender and sexuality, not only on our ‘G.GEN’ marked shelves in the Main Reading Room and Research Collection but interspersed throughout our modern language and film collections.
While the official theme for this year’s LGBT+ History Month is ‘Medicine: Under the Scope’, we at the Taylor Library decided to stick to our subject specialisms of modern language and European history while putting together our display. As a result, we have two separate displays, a DVD display in the Teaching Collection and a display of our most recent acquisitions of LGBT+ history books in the Research Collection, to keep up to date with current scholarship.
The displays aim to present examples of the vast array of items the library has, from the history of coming out in Wales (A Little Gay History of Wales)and lesbian desire in nineteenth century Italy (Eccentricity and sameness: discourses on lesbianism and desire between women in Italy, 1860s-1930s), to histories of queerness in medieval French courts (Courtly and queer: deconstruction, desire, and medieval French literature) and anthologies of transgender historical scholarship. They are centred around uncovering lost historical narratives, whether that be because of scholarly neglect until relatively recently, or explicit attempts to erase the voices of those who did not “fit” within the heteronormative historical narrative. To recognise these voices, the display also contains the works of 19th and 20th century LGBT+ writers and artists. These include the likes of Renée Vivien, a lesbian Parisian poet whose childhood friend-turned-lover, Violet Shillito, is often evoked in her works such as this display’s A Crown of Violets. Another example you will find is that of Mário Cesariny, a surrealist artist and poet who left Portugal for the UK to escape persecution for his homosexuality. The Taylor recently held an exhibition of his work, which you can read about here.
As for our DVD display, this aims to celebrate the impact and contribution of LGBT+ artists in cinema worldwide. The collection on display consists of films that were produced by LGBT+ directors and are a mix of early and more recent productions. From French historical drama such as Portrait of a Lady on Fire to South Korean thriller The Handmaiden, Swedish bildungsroman Show Me Love to Thai romance Tropical Malady, these award-winning productions all explore and celebrate the multifaceted experiences of those in the LGBT+ community. Overall, the displays reflect the purpose of LGBT+ History Month as a whole, to create safe and inclusive spaces for all readers and staff members at the Taylorian.
This year for LGBT+ month, the EFL has decided to do something a little bit different for its Book Display. Under the capable hands of Sophie, our Reader Services Senior Library Assistant, and in collaboration with the LGBTQ+ Campaign, the EFL put out a call to its readers to help co-curate this month’s display. Our readers were asked to submit their favourite queer book with a short blurb on why they chose it. Needless to say, we were blown away by the response!
10 people took the time out of their day to send in a suggestion, and it was wonderful to see how varied the responses were. Here’s a sample of some of the choices and a taste of why they were chosen:
Loveless by Alice Oseman, a contemporary coming-out novel with an aro-ace protagonist. In the anonymous nominee’s words, it’s about ‘the multitude of ways that love can be defined’
Ready to Catch him Should he Fall by Neil Bartlett which nominee Jasper described as ‘[capturing] the horror and grief of the 80s AIDS crisis’
And (of course) classics such as The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, in which nominee Isaac highlighted how ‘with the lens afforded to a modern queer man, the homosexual repression jumps off the page’.
A full reading list can be found below if you’re interested!
It has been fascinating to see how different the responses are, and to see what exactly our readers are reading in their own words – particularly as queer voices have been (and are still being) silenced. In the spirit of allowing people their own voice, I’ve asked Sophie to write a few words of her own about the display:
“The idea for the collaborative display between the English Faculty Library and the SU LGBTQ+ Campaign was first raised by student reps earlier this academic year, who expressed an interest in the library having a display for Trans Awareness Week back in November (which we did!). The LGBT+ History Month display was a natural follow-up from this, and couldn’t have been made without the help of the SU LGBTQ+ Campaign, who reached out to their connections and collected suggestions from the student body. This has helped us to create a display where Oxford’s LGBTQ+ community can talk about their history, experiences, and literature in their own words.”
This display will be on at the EFL for the entirety of LGBTQ+ History Month until March 4th 2024, so we highly encourage you to see it in person! If you’re unable to make it to the EFL though, a virtual display will be being posted onto the EFL Blog later this month so do keep an eye out.
New College Library’s book display for LGBT+ History Month draws from our extensive Gender and Sexuality collection, a section of the library dedicated to books which explore and amplify LGBT+ peoples’ lives, voices, identities, and experiences, both historically and in the present day. I also identified some exciting new titles which we acquired for the library.
In honour of this year’s theme, ‘Medicine – #UnderTheScope’, the display includes books which explore LGBT+ people’s experiences of and contributions to healthcare and medicine. David France’s How to Survive a Plague, which was based on the 2012 documentary he directed of the same name, provides a raw and powerful social and scientific history of AIDS. France spotlights the vital work of activists of all genders who were the driving force behind the development of life-saving drugs for the management of HIV. Also on display is The Hidden Case of Ewan Forbes by Zoë Playdon. This book chronicles the life of Scottish nobleman Ewan Forbes, a transgender man, and the 1968 court case regarding the inheritance of his baronetcy. Drawing on the fields of medicine, psychology, biology, and law, Playdon provides the first analysis of this little-known event in LGBT+ history, drawing on records that had been suppressed until very recently.
Other books on display in New College Library this year explore a variety of different aspects of LGBT+ history, reflecting something of the range of different experiences, voices, and identities. Dr Kit Heyam’s monograph Before We Were Trans, for example, moves widely through time and space proposing a broader concept of trans history which encompasses everyone ‘doing fascinating, creative, messy things with gender’. Other books on display include a history of the Stonewall uprising in America and the imposition, repeal, and legacy of Section 28 in Britain, alongside explorations of the culture, history, and science of bisexuality and asexuality.
The display has proved really popular, and readers have borrowed several of the books which we have replaced on the display with others from our collection. There are so many amazing new releases in the field of LGBT+ studies, and I am keen to support in the acquisition of more of these books for the library.
At the HFL, a former trainee has put together a display of books covering a wide range of LGBT+ history.
For those keen to delve into this year’s theme of “Under the Scope” and explore how LGBT+ people have experienced and contributed to medicine and healthcare, there are titles such as How to survive a plague: the inside story of how citizens and science tamed AIDS, which tells the story of activists and medics fighting to find a solution to the AIDS crisis.
Well! It’s the last day before Christmas closure at the Bodleian Library, and as I am writing this, I imagine that some of the trainees in other libraries are making their way back to family and friends for Christmas. It’s been magical to see how Oxford libraries transform at Christmas time. There have been carols in the Divinity School sung by Bodleian staff, busts decorated with Santa hats, and Christmas trees springing up all over our different sites.
Like the trainees last year, this year we decided to explore our libraries in the festive season through the medium of our very own 12 Days of Christmas- or should I say, Libmas! Originally posted over on our X (Twitter) X/Twitter account below is a list of all the presents that our libraries have ‘sent’ to us, and now to you! (Singing along is optional.)
On the First Day of Libmas, my library sent to me-
A bust of Chichele!
Henry Chichele was the founder of All Souls College and also Archbishop of Canterbury from 1414-43. One of our trainees has the privilege of working in the library there!
On the Second Day of Libmas my library sent to me-
Two book displays
Part of the trainee role is getting to be creative with book displays. Pictured below are some Christmas book sculptures from the Social Science Library. How cute!
On the Third day of Libmas my library sent to me-
Three window frogs!
According to cataloguer Peter Spokes, much of the painted glass in the Old Bodleian Upper Reading Room is of 17th century Flemish origin!
Top right frog has definitely had too much Christmas pudding.
On the Fourth day of Libmas my library sent to me-
Four festive busts!
Pictured below are busts of Professor Hermann Georg Fiedler, Prince Edward and Voltaire.
On the Fifth Day of Libmas my library sent to me-
Five old things!
1)A papyrus dating from 3 AD from St John’s College, in which the recipient is asked why they didn’t attend the sender’s son’s birthday party !
2) MS 61 – a rather lovely 13th century bestiary made in York!
3) A copy of the 27 Sermons preached by Hugh Latimer and held at the English Faculty Library! This edition was printed in 1562 by John Day, seven years after Latimer was burnt at the stake for heresy on Broad Street near Balliol college in Oxford.
4) One of a series of letters written by Jane Austen to her niece Anna in 1814. St John’s College also owns a 1797 letter from Austen’s father, George, to a publishing house, offering them his daughter’s novel ‘Pride and Prejudice’ – they said no!
5) Last but certainly not least in our list of old things, a book on Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules! Although still used in some select libraries, AACR and AACR2 were a cataloguing standard that have largely been superseded by machine-readable cataloguing, known as MARC
On the Sixth Day of Libmas my library sent to me-
Six Christmas data charts!
With roast spuds as the top dish, average Christmas budget, most desired gifts, total UK Xmas spending, average Christmas dinner cost, and toys as largest gift spend! Sprouts beat mince pies…hmm?
On the Seventh Day of Libmas my library sent to me-
Seven damaged books!
It’s inevitable that some of the Bodleian’s collections will become a little careworn, however, it’s important that they are able to keep circulating. This is when the lovely Bodleian conservation team step in!
On the Eighth day of Libmas my library sent to me-
Eight totes for packing!
Artfully (?) arranged by a trainee into a very vague christmas tree shape, these totes contain books to be refiled in our Collections Storage Facility.
On the Ninth day of Libmas my library sent to me- 9 ladies’ dancing (manuals)
Exhibited in Blackwell Hall, Weston Library, ‘The Dancing Master’ was a widely popular manual of country dances, first published in 1651.
In 1857, 8 artists including Rossetti, Morris and Burne-Jones, painted the #OxfordUnion’s Old Library (then Debate Chamber). Their inexperience meant the art faded and some said it should be covered.
On the Eleventh Day of Libmas my library sent to me-
Eleven (House of) Lords (Hansard parliamentary sittings reports) a-leaping (on to their trolley)! Did you know the Bodleian Law Library also houses the Official Papers collection?
On the Twelth day of Libmas my library sent to me-
Twelve libraries with trainees wish you a very merry Christmas!
Thank you all for reading our blog and engaging with our X posts over Michaelmas term. There is lots more to come in 2024, so watch this space!
The Research Collection’s Black History Display in the Enquiry Desk room
As Oxford University’s library of modern languages and literature, the Taylor Institution has around 750,000 items in its care. These collections represent and explore a wide range of research interests, from Europe to the Caribbean, Celtic nations to Africa, and beyond. In doing so, the collections also recognise the problematic, colonial role Europe has played in Black history around the world. To celebrate Black History Month 2023 at the Taylor, and to demonstrate the diverse yet complex nature of our subject specialisms, I was given the opportunity to put together two book displays, one in the Teaching Collection and the other in the Research Collection, to celebrate this BHM’s theme: Saluting our Sisters. Here, I want to describe the display to you, as well as explain some of the reasoning behind picking out the books that I did!
The Books
Deciding where to start when choosing books for the display was difficult, to say the least – there were so many books that deserve the spotlight! Eventually, I settled on attempting to provide a taste of the wide range of resources we provide at the Taylor, while sticking to the theme as closely as possible. I also wanted to demonstrate the ever-evolving nature of the scholarship available. As a result, I decided to start with texts on Black feminism to give readers the chance to understand the theoretical background of the other materials on display. For the most part, these texts can be found in the gender studies section of the Main Reading Room and include the likes of Patricia Hill Collins’ Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness and the Politics of Empowerment (2009) and Jennifer C. Nash’s Black Feminism Reimagined: After Intersectionality (2019). These texts focus on theories of intersectionality and the lived realities of Black women. Collins explores the complexities of Black women’s experiences in dealing with hierarchies of oppression and power. Meanwhile, Nash’s more recent work provides a new perspective by challenging the direction that Black feminist theory is currently headed within the field of women’s studies. By suggesting these two texts, I hoped to provide a basis from which to understand Black feminist theory, as well as an indication of where the field is headed.
The Black History Month Book Display on the First Floor of the Teaching Collections.
Works on the literature of Afro-Caribbean and Lusophone African writers also feature on the displays. In particular, they focus on the works of Black women such as Maryse Condé and Gisèle Pineau, with the likes of Reimagining Resistance in Gisèle Pineau’s Work (2023) and Conversations with Maryse Condé (1996) highlighting their work. Pineau’s novels are especially important in challenging Europe’s “colour-blindness,” and many of her works are available at the Taylor in the original French, such as Un Papillon dans la Cite (1992) and L’exil selon Julia: Récit (2020). Condé, on the other hand, is famous for her transgressions of identity, whether that be racial or gendered. She draws heavily on history to inform her own writing, for example in her work Ségou (1984) and Moi, Tituba, Sorcière (1986). To offer background for these texts, I also included American Creoles: The Francophone Caribbean and the American South (2012), as I thought this shed an up-to-date and exciting light on the historical impact and future potential of Caribbean literature.
Natalya Vince, Our Fighting Sisters: Nation, Memory and Gender in Algeria, 1954-2012
In terms of history, some of the texts also explore the contributions that Black women made in establishing civil rights, as well as national independence from colonial oppression. Two that stood out to me the most included Tiffany N. Florvil’s Mobilizing Black Germany: Afro-German women and the making of a transnational movement (2020) and Natalya Vince’s Our Fighting Sisters: Nation, Memory and Gender in Algeria, 1954-2012 (2015). Florvil focuses on sexuality and race to demonstrate the impact that Black German women played in forming the cultural, intellectual and social movement of Black German liberation in the 1980s. Meanwhile, Vince bases her research on women’s oral testimonies of the Algerian fight against French colonialism from 1954 to 2012. In doing so, she provides insight into how women perceived their nation post-independence and how this impacted wider national memory. Both are completely different in their methodological undertakings but are equally fascinating areas of twentieth century history!
Tiffany N. Florvil, Mobilizing Black Germany: Afro-German Women and the Making of a Transnational Movement
Lastly, as I pulled the displays together, picking books and narrowing down my choices, I found that themes of resistance and identity were very strong in almost all of the texts. To provide background for this, I felt it was also necessary to display Franz Fanon’s seminal work on anti-colonialist theory, The Wretched of the Earth (2004 [1961]), as well as the more recent work on postcolonial writings such as postcolonial writings such as American Creoles. Ultimately, this tied into my aim with the display: to recognise where today’s scholarship in Black history and literature stems from, and where it is going now.
***
Check out our X (Twitter) page to find out what else we Trainees have been doing to celebrate Black History Month!
Bibliography:
Collins, Patricia Hill Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness and the Politics of Empowerment, 2nd edition, (London: Routledge, 2009)
Florvil, Tiffany Nicole, Mobilising Black Germany: Afro-German women and the making of a transnational movement (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2020)
Hello! My name is Clara, and I am the current trainee at the Taylor Institution Library, or the ‘Taylorian,’ Oxford University’s library of modern languages and literature other than English. As a trainee in Section 3 of the Bodleian, I am also working at the Art, Archaeology and Ancient World Library and the Nizami Ganjavi Library, the latter of which specialises in Asian and Middle Eastern studies. Despite this, the Taylor is where my traineeship is mostly based. Here, we have around 750,000 books both on and off site that range from languages such as French, Slavonic and Greek, to subjects such as Gender studies, Celtic studies and linguistics. I do have a little knowledge of French, having studied the language during my first undergraduate year of English Literature and History at the University of Glasgow. However, my background lies mostly in Gender History, which I studied as a Masters at Glasgow University as well. After graduating, I went on to try my hand in the heritage and tourism industry at Stirling Castle before being offered this exciting opportunity to work in librarianship at the Bodleian.
The Taylor’s Main Reading Room
Like every library at Oxford University, the Taylor is unique in its own way; comprised of two buildings, one built in the 1840s and the other during the 1930s, it offers different, yet equally welcoming, environments for staff and readers. The 1930s side of the building mainly houses our Teaching and DVD Collections, the former of which is tailored (no pun intended!) for undergraduate study and reading lists. This is also where the Issue Desk is situated. The older half of the library is where the Enquiry Desk can be found, as well as our Research Collection and the library’s most popular place to study – the Main Reading Room. With chandeliers, a fireplace and a spiral staircase leading to the gallery, I too would find it a great place to read and find inspiration for an essay! The basement is where the Slavonic section is kept, as well as the Celtic studies material and more.
This last month has flown by, but I have learnt so much and met so many lovely (and patient!) colleagues and fellow trainees. So far, my time has comprised of learning how to use Alma, getting to grips with the varying shelving systems of the Taylor, setting up book displays and learning how to help readers effectively – I’m really excited to see what else this year will bring! I am especially looking forward to the trainee trip to the Collections Storage Facility in Swindon, as well as contributing to this blog. For now, the hope is to develop my career in academic librarianship, perhaps as a subject librarian or in special collections, but I will just have to wait and see what this year brings, and what inspires me the most in this role!
Hi, I’m Lorena, this year’s Taylor Institution Library trainee. The Taylor Institution is part of the Bodleian Libraries, and caters to students and researchers of modern European languages, linguistics, and film studies—plus hosts significant collections on gender, and bibliography, palaeography and book production.
Built in the 1860s and expanded in the 1930s, the Taylor Institution is an attractive neoclassical building in the centre of Oxford. It attracts not only Modern Languages scholars, but also people looking for a well-lit, comfortable place to work. Working at the Taylorian over the past few weeks has been a hugely interesting experience as I have got used to the building, its collections, and its readers.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of working at the Taylorian has been the variety of languages and literatures available within its walls. Our readers and our staff generally have some familiarity with one or more languages in addition to English, and it´s common to hear conversations in Russian, German, French, or Spanish. As a person interested in language and literature, it´s always interesting to see what readers are looking for or requesting.
Also rewarding has been the opportunity to both work on the day-to-day operations of
The Voltaire Room
the library, and get involved in some longer-term projects. Combining working at the desk and assisting readers with project work and more technical tasks makes for varied, entertaining days.
I have also had the opportunity to work in the Sackler Library (which focuses on Ancient History, Archaeology, Art, and Architecture), and the Nizami Ganjavi Library (which covers subjects related to Asia and the Middle East). I have also had the chance to visit other libraries—look out for a future post in the coming weeks on the visit some of us made to the St Edmund Hall library!—and collaborate with staff across the Bodleian Libraries.
As a trainee, I have received nothing but encouragement when it comes to getting involved, learning more, and making changes and improvements in the library. The past few weeks have given me the opportunity to see in practice different aspects of work in academic libraries, and have served to show me a range of possible career paths beyond the traineeship. I look forward to seeing what the rest of the year will bring.
It’s week four of our ‘interview with a former trainee’ series – how time flies! This week we hear from Katie Day (Taylor Institution Library, 2018/19), Natasha Kennedy (English Faculty Library, 2013/14) and Georgina Kiddy (Social Science Library, 2017/18)
The Taylor Institution Library, where Katie was a trainee in 2018/19
What did you most enjoy about this experience?
Katie:
I enjoyed how everyone was so keen for me to get to try everything! My colleagues made sure I could dive in and ask loads of questions. I also loved the Enquiry Desk and encountering such a wide range of questions and research queries!
Natasha:
The hands on experience of working in a library combined with the training. When you think of roles in libraries you initially think of cataloguing or being a subject librarian. The training showed show many more career paths and different areas to specialise in.
Georgina:
Attending the training sessions on Wednesday afternoons at Osney. This was a great chance to learn about the variety of roles at the Bodleian and across academic Libraries, as well as meet my fellow trainees.
Were there any specific training sessions that you found particularly interesting/useful?
Katie:
The trip to the BSF and round other libraries (I especially remember the public library talk!) were great, but the most useful was probably the talk on library school. I knew a bit about the US route, but didn’t know where to start with the UK and that really helped me – particularly the honesty of the current students who came in to discuss it.
Natasha:
I loved the talk by Frankie Wilson, Head of Assessment as it was extremely useful in understanding what I can do to create services that readers need and want. I also found visits to other libraries such as Oxford public library to be very useful in gaining a greater understanding of the roles of Librarians in different types of libraries.
Georgina:
I enjoyed the variety of training, guest speakers and tours of archives and libraries. I think the most interesting were the tours of the Bodleian’s special collections and archives.
The English Faculty Library, where Natasha was a trainee in 2013/14
Following on from your traineeship, did you (or are you planning to) go to library school? Did the traineeship influence your thoughts on this?
Katie:
Yes, I went part-time to UCL right after, and I just finished my MA last year! I’d applied to the traineeship to use it as a ‘taster’ before committing to grad school, and it absolutely confirmed that this was something I wanted to make my career. I picked UCL both for its Cat&Class/Organising Knowledge classes, which I thought were fascinating and not something other schools really offered, but also so that I could continue to live and work part-time in Oxford while attending library school in person. (While, as you can tell from my dates, I was only in-person for half that time, I still loved it!)
Natasha:
I attended Library School straight after the traineeship finished, working full time in the position of Lending Services Supervisor at the Radcliffe Science Library whilst undertaking the course by distance learning. The traineeship confirmed that I wanted to have a career in Librarianship, and that I wanted to gain as much experience as possible whilst doing the Masters.
Georgina:
I went on to do the 3-year MA Libraries and Information Services Management course at Sheffield University, which I have now completed. The traineeship greatly encouraged me to apply and I don’t think I would have committed to the course had I not made it onto the Bodleian traineeship.
In hindsight, what was the most useful thing you took away from the traineeship?
Katie:
An understanding of academic librarianship and what I wanted from my career. Also, my partner (a fellow 2018/19 trainee)!
Natasha:
Making connections with colleagues, and trying out as many different things as possible by saying yes to opportunities. I was the trainee representative on a University wide group, and asked the Chair whether I could stay on after my trainee year had ended as I had spotted a gap in representation that made sense with my new role. I have just finished a stint of chairing that same group. If I hadn’t joined, then had the courage to ask to stay on, I would never have had the experiences or career I have today.
Georgina:
I really appreciated being able to get involved with a trainee project of my own choosing and having the opportunity to present. This was something that I didn’t have a lot of experience of beforehand and so I think this stuck with me as a pivotal moment of the traineeship.
The Manor Road building, housing the Social Science Library, where Georgina was a trainee in 2017/18
What are you doing now?
Katie:
I’m still at the Taylorian as a Library Assistant, but by time of publication I’ll have started at the EFL as a Senior Library Assistant, with a focus on collections! I’m very excited.
Natasha:
I am the Reader Services Librarian of the Bodleian Library, and Learning Support Librarian for MSc Digital Scholarship
Georgina:
I am the Online Reading List Coordinator at the Bodleian Libraries. In this role I support the University in developing and maintaining the ORLO system to ensure readers have access to live and interactive reading lists and materials for their courses.
Is there anything else you would like to mention?
Katie:
If you’re not sure whether to give this a go, this is your sign! I moved to Oxford from Chicago, and having a whole bunch of trainees in the same boat made it all much less intimidating. Also, thank you to everyone at the Taylorian for a great traineeship + three bonus years!
Georgina:
I really enjoyed our visit to London; it was a lovely addition to the traineeship experience. I went to the London Library and the Natural History Museum Library. I was grateful to Staff Development for organising this.
For some bonus content, feel free to check out Katie’s introductory post to the Bodleian Libraries here:
Above: A selection of Dostoevsky-related works from the Undergraduate Collection
After my recent experience of assisting in the Taylor Institution Library’s (and the wider University’s) celebration of 700 years of Dante Alighieri’s contribution to literature, philosophy and the arts, another birthday of note from among the literary canon is almost upon us: Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, the Russian novelist, essayist and journalist, celebrates his 200th birthday on 11 November 2021.
While Italy continues to hold a very special place in my heart, Russia is never far from my thoughts. Thus, an exciting discovery since returning to Oxford and joining the Taylorian has been finding the Russian and Slavonic Collections of the library reunited with the rest of its holdings. When I was last in the city, many Russian texts relevant to my research could be found housed in the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages buildings on Wellington Square. Their transfer – along with the rest of the library’s Slavonic holdings – back into the main site means that I’m never far away from a chance to reconnect with this fascinating region – and its literary heritage!
In fact, another key project from my opening months in the new role has been the reclassification of the Slavonic Undergraduate Collection – which includes many classic works of fiction in their original language and English translations – from an old, almost-Library-of-Congress-but-not-quite catalogue system into the more standardised version of this shelfmarking standard. It will bring the Undergraduate Collection in line with both new additions to our Slavonic Research Collection (also housed in the basement) and other languages (and subjects) represented across the library.
Above: A View of the Undergraduate Russian and Slavonic Collection and Basement Office
In recent weeks, I’ve been working with one of the senior librarians in this process, Jola Hood, who is working like a labour-prize-worthy Stakhanovite to overcome the disruption of the last couple of years and its delay of the work, and ensure the collection is ready for students to access, as the new academic year begins.
Jola is responsible for re-cataloguing each book with a new shelfmark in Aleph (the University’s current computerised catalogue system) according to Library of Congress conventions. The item then comes to me (or one of my colleagues), ready to have this new identification recorded in the book itself, alongside the new collection reference (“Slav UG / LC” – Slavonic Undergraduate Collection / Library of Congress) in pencil, before crossing out any pre-existing shelf marks and barcodes that pre-date the changeover. You can find images showing the separate stages in this process in the gallery below. This crossing-out of the old record, rather than its complete removal or erasure, is actually an important step in preserving the historical record of each book’s life in the library’s collections. Inevitably, books can become lost, misplaced or misidentified over their lifetime, and it’s useful to maintain this physical record of their past journey through the catalogue should some detective work be needed to bring them back to their proper place on the shelves.
The final step is printing a new spine label with the LC shelfmark and adding an identifying red spot to distinguish the Undergraduate Collection from our Research Collection (which have green spots). With so many languages represented in the library, and the further separation of teaching and research collections, these extra steps are essential to the smooth running of the day-to-day re-shelving process.
All this is to say that, aside from the birthday wishes that Dostoevsky is due, a belated ‘welcome to your new home’ on the shelves of the Taylorian is offered from one former-Siberian exile to another:
С Днем Рождения, Достоевский! Добро пожаловать!
(S Dnem Rozhdeniya, Dostoyevskiy! Dobro pozhalovat’!)
I’m sure that with many of the usual opportunities for current students and researchers to be properly introduced to the holdings of the library being curtailed by lingering pandemic protocols, I’ll be called on to direct them to our basement shelves over the coming weeks. And having now been involved in the process of making sure the right books find their way to their new home – Dostoevsky’s works included – it already feels like one of the areas of the library where I, too, feel most at home already.
The Oxford Union Society’s LGBT+ History Month display explores LGBT+ history from across the world.
New College Library’s book display for LGBT+ History Month draws from our extensive Gender and Sexuality collection, a section of the library dedicated to books which explore and amplify LGBT+ peoples’ lives, voices, identities, and experiences, both historically and in the present day. I also identified some exciting new titles which we acquired for the library.
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