Evening star., 1898-11-12
CHAINED THEIR BOOKS
Methods Resorted to by Librarians of the
Middle Ages
Volumes Were Securely Fastened t,
Iron Rods and Could Not BE
Taken Away.
From the Scientific American.


In paper on the Libraries of the Mid
die Ages" recently read by Mr.. T. G. Jack
son before the Royal Institute of British
Architects, the lecturer said that buildings
specially to hold their libraries were first
erected by the universities and colleges.
The oldest structure of the kind in Eng
land, perhaps in Europe, is the old library
of the University of oxford, whicn still
tains many features of it's original form.
This structure, rarely seen by visitors, and
even unknown to the majority of oxford
men. is two-storied building situated on
the north side of the choir of St. Mary's
Church adjoining the tower at one end. and
separated from the body of the church by
narrow courtyard. Having glanced at the
way books were kept, used and lent at Ok
ford prior to the erection of this building,
the lecturer gave a sketch of its founda-
ton by Cobbam, bishop of Worcester, about
1920 and some incidents in it's early his
tory, following with description of the in
terfor, furniture and general arrangements.
Long desks were placed at regular inter-
walls at right angles to the walls, on which
the volumes lay their sides. A bench
was fixed in front for the reader, and a
window came between each pair of desks to
light that pew or cell. Every volume had
metal clip riveted to the front edge of the
board forming one cover, to which was at
tached light iron chain of the requisite
length. having at the other end ring. This
TlIlS ram upon an IRON roo WHICH was car
ried along the top of the desk, and was Sc
cured at the end by tasp and paddock
to prevent the ring being drawn off. The
foundation of Bishop Cobhams library was
succeeded shortly afterward by that of the
library of Durham College. Oxford. by
Richard de Bury, bishop of Durham 0335-
'45). The books bequeathed by De Bury to
the college were kept for many years in
chests under the custody of scholars de-
puted for the purpose. At the beginning of
the fifteenth century library was built
and regularly furnished with bookcases or
settles inclosng pews or studies between
them where the books were chainel. When
Durham College came to an end at the dis
solution its old buildings were utilized by
its successor, the present Trinity. and the
old library of Durham College still serves
the library of Trinity College. William
Of Wykeham's New College at Oxford set
the fashion for all future collegiate build
ings at either university in provision being
made for every department, and thencefor-
ward every college had it's library as an eS-
sential part of its plan. Though books
were few the room devoted to them had to
be large, the claiming of the books to the
desks making 1t possible to have only few
on each desk Soon, the books increased,
shelves were formed behind the desks, tier
by tier, until at last. in the seventeenth or
eighteenth century. they reached the cell
ing. The appearance of the fittings before
that time could be we'll seen in the old Ii
brary of Merton College. OF chained Ii
braries there were at least three extant in
England. that belonging to Hereford Cathe-
drai being the most ancient and perfect.
Old chair s, hasps and staples belonging to
neutrality-suspicious. of the actual fittings
of a medieval chained lbrary-were exhib-
tied by Mr.. Jackson, and the method of
fixation explained. All Saints Church,
Hereford, and Wimborne Minister also pos
sess chained libraries. But the finest in the
world is that of San Lorenzo. Florence, the
great hall of which was designed by Mi
ckael Angelo in 1924 said to contain the
fin,, 1,xy. NJ
the Medci The lecturer then touched on
the difficulties of consulting books in the
old chained libraries. Shelves for the ever
increasing number of hooks had been pro-
vidsd, but desk accommodation remained
as before. One student occupied on vol
ume prevented three or four others getting
access to the books. This led to the library
rooms being enlarged. Chains were bought
for the Bodleian Library as late as 1I51; it
was not till 1857 that this method of secur-
ing the books abolished.