Bodleian Libraries

07/09/2026

Back to the daily grind?

Summer's nearly over, holidays are a distant memory, and many of us are returning to our workplaces with a skip in our step and joy in our hearts.

If, like us, you're excited to jump back into everyone's favourite social media platform, but unsure what to post, here are some ready-made announcements, for you to keep and share!

Presenting: LinkedIn Hell - Medieval edition

Featuring:

- The souls of the proud and vainglorious are broken on a wheel by a devil. (MS. Douce 134)
- Coronation of Edward the Confessor, 1042 (?)-1066. King surrounded by bishops. (Chronicle to 1296, MS. Laud Misc. 572)
- Hugh of St. Victor teaching a group of monks (Various writings, MS. Laud Misc. 409)
- Cavalry battle (Aeneas defeats Turnus). (Grandes Chroniques de Francem MS. Douce 217)
- Suffrage to St. Christopher. St. Christopher carries Christ across stream. (Book of Hours. Use of Tours, MS. Rawl. liturg. e. 34)
- St. Mark, clock with weights. (Book of Hours. Use of Rome, MS. Douce 112)
- Beheading of St. John the Baptist. Executioner holds John's head by the hair; Salome stands by with a platter. (Book of Hours. Use of Rome, Bodleian Library MS. Liturg. 41)
- Punishment of the envious in Hell. (MS. Douce 134)
- Raising of Lazarus (Book of Hours in Dutch, mainly in the translation of Geert Grote, MS. Buchanan f. 1)
- Two men try to capture Reynard the Fox with a net. (Romance of Reynard the Fox and Isengrin, MS. Douce 360)

Find out more in the Alt text and explore online by searching titles or shelfmarks at digital.bodleian!

04/09/2026

Our monthly e-newsletter is a roundup of upcoming exhibitions, talks, special events and much more.

Later in the year, our annual Holiday Gift Guide will be sent out, too, but if you want to be the first to know what THIS post is all about, be sure to sign up before Monday, 7 September…

🔗 https://go.glam.ox.ac.uk/YJlvn0wFy

03/09/2026

We have a few tickets left for our Children's Literature Tour on Saturday 19 September!

Kids aged 7-13 can join us to explore and see the places that inspired some of their favourite authors and stories - from Alice to Narnia to Vikings.

Your ticket includes entry to the beautiful Divinity School after the tour.

‘Once upon a time’ is how all good stories begin, and has Oxford got some stories for you!

02/09/2026

The stunning 'Sheldon Tapestry Map of Oxfordshire on the wall of the Weston Library is coming down from public display this weekend.

To mark the occasion, our incredibly knowledgeable Map Room team will be holding a 'Tapestry Day' tomorrow, Thursday 3 September.

You'll find them beside the tapestry all day, talking with visitors, and displaying related items from the Bodleian's map collections.

Come along to see it for yourself!

The 16th-century Sheldon Tapestry Map of Oxfordshire was commissioned by Ralph Sheldon. It’s one of a set of four tapestry maps, and the Bodleian holds three of these (though none are complete). The tapestry includes Oxford and London, and is remarkably detailed and colourful for its time.

01/09/2026

👇 How do hands tell stories in the Bayeux Tapestry?

Dr Emily Winkler (Lecturer in Medieval History, Hertford College and St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford) explores important hand imagery in the 11th-century , from the hand of God bursting through a cloud, to a mother holding her child's hand as they become refugees.

Emily is the author of the Pocket Bayeux Tapestry, a handy guide published to coincide with the Tapestry’s much-anticipated loan to Britain this year.

It reproduces beautiful drawings of the Tapestry by 19th-century French artist Victor Sansonetti, accompanied by translations of the original Latin inscriptions and a concise commentary on each plate. A fascinating introduction sets the Tapestry in its historical context.

Available now at https://bodleianshop.co.uk/products/pocket-bayeux-tapestry.



University of Oxford

31/08/2026

Happy to those who have one today!



Featuring:
- Book of Hours. Use of Rome: Bodleian Library MS. Douce 276
- Le Roman de la Rose: Bodleian Library MS. Douce 371
- Hesperides: Bodleian Library MS. Canon. Class. Lat. 81
- Psalter: Bodleian Library MS. Douce 118
- Le Roman de la Rose: Bodleian Library MS. Douce 332
- Offices, prayers for private use: Bodleian Library MS. Douce 8
- Book of Hours. Use of Rome: Bodleian Library MS. Douce 31

Find out more about the images in the Alt text, and view them online at digital.bodleian!

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29/08/2026

Inspired by the return of the devilishly difficult BBC quiz show , we've put together our own Bodleian Libraries-themed Connecting Wall for the Bank Holiday weekend.

No answers in the comments please, but do let us know how you get on.

RULES: (Imagine Victoria Coren Mitchell reading this out for the complete immersive experience.)

Sort the 16 clues into four groups of four, and work out what connects each group. Some clues might fit into more than one of the groups, but there is (or at least *should* be) only one perfect solution. Some light research may be needed!

ANSWERS BELOW
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ANSWERS:

CATEGORY: FIRST WORDS OF BODLEIAN SPACES
Radcliffe (The Radcliffe Camera)
Duke (Duke Humfrey's Library
Old (Old Library, or Old Schools Quadrangle)
Weston (Weston Library)

CATEGORY: ACTORS WHO HAVE BEEN FILMED AT BODLEIAN SPACES FOR FILM AND TV
Thaw (John, Inspector Morse)
Coleman (Olivia, The Favourite)
Chalamet (Timothée, Wonka)
Robbie (Margot, Mary Queen of Scots)

CATEGORY: AUTHORS WHOSE WORKS CAN BE FOUND AT THE BODLEIAN:
Austen (Jane)
Tolkien (J.R.R.)
Shelley (Mary and Percy)
Lewis (C.S.)

CATEGORY: BODLEY'S LIBRARIANS (PAST AND CURRENT)
Hyde (Thomas, 1665–1701. Fun fact: Hyde resigned when 'tired of "the toil and drudgery of daily attendance in all times and weathers"'.)
Nicholson (Edward, between 1882–1912)
Cowley (Sir Arthur, between1919–31)
Ovenden (Richard, 2014-)

28/08/2026

Many of us are having an , with the aim of slowing down and being more present.

As we enter the last few weeks of the season, why not dip your toes into the trend, too?

🪡 Get crafty and embroider your very own Radcliffe Camera
📝 Create, reflect and unwind with bespoke stationery
📖 Or find your next favourite read with Bodleian Publishing

All this and more at https://bodleianshop.co.uk

27/08/2026

Birds flying together create one of nature’s most compelling orchestrations - a symphony of flocks in motion. 🪽

Join us online, or in person, for this upcoming talk, in which Dr Steve Portugal will explain how birds maintain cohesion and navigate complex landscapes, while balancing aerodynamic costs and social benefits.

The Symphony of Flocks: Collective Behaviour in Birds
📆 4 September 2026
🕐 13.00 – 14.00 (UK time)
📍 At the Weston Library and online
£5, booking required https://visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/event/2026/sep/the-symphony-of-flocks

Steve's research not only deciphers the mechanics of group flight, but highlights how simple local interactions can coalesce into coordinated, adaptive global patterns.

Talk at the Weston Library and online. Why do birds gather in groups? How do they behave when they do? What advantages do they gain from this behaviour?

26/08/2026

Pawsitively cute photos!


These wonderful images are actually postcards, collected by the artist Tom Phillips (1937-2022) and part of the archive donated to the Bodleian Libraries.

Dating from the c1890s - 1960s, they capture different relationships between people and the animals around them.

As part of our ‘Pets & their People’ exhibition (open until 27 Sep at the Weston Library), we’d like your help to create a modern record of people and their pets. We’d love for you to submit photos of you with your pet – either recreations of these or something new.

Send them as DMs or to [email protected]

When you submit please let us know:
⁃ Your name/handle
⁃ Your pet’s name
⁃ A rough geographic place and date

T&Cs @ https://visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/event/pets-and-their-people

Privacy Notice @ https://www.glam.ox.ac.uk/privacy-notice-glam

About the exhibition: https://visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/event/pets-and-their-people