He was chairman for about thirty years of the Radcliffe Trust, and it was during his chairmanship that the Trust made over the Camerathen a sculpture galleryto the Bodleian in 1861. He was a benefactor of the Bodleian, which he entered for the first time as an undergraduate in 1828 and for the last time in 1892. During a visit in 1888, he jotted on the back of an envelope a design for rolling stack bookcases which he had invented for the residential library he founded at Hawarden. The rolling stacks below Radcliffe Square follow this design. William Hodges, Bodley The Saga of Schindler's Lift 1999 Readers of the Bodleian Staff Newsletter at this time last year will remember the sad tale of the Bodleian Old Library Tower Lift being out of use from the end of August until the middle of December.
History seems to be repeating itself as it's been broken again now for ten days.
Pity poor elderly and disabled readers who wish to use the upper floors of the Old Library. I have an eye for the crucial role this lift will play when the Upper Reading Room closes next Long Vacation and all the books will have to come in and out through the lift. Many thanks to Mike Heaney for raising this issuehe took the words right out of my mouth. I can add that the same 'correction' was made in the Newsletter of 21 OctoberI sent in a notice titled 'car parking update' which was relevant to the majority of readers only to discover that the word Bodley had been added. Viki Matthews Apologies to Viki Matthews and Mike Heaney.