How to get into British University libraries, 1920s

[jat_sapphire]

I'm writing fiction about a schoolmaster with an external degree earned after service in WWI. I gather his degree would most likely have been granted by the University of London, though he sat his exams elsewhere. He needs to do primary research for a book he is writing, and the papers he needs to see (I looked up their real location) are at the

Comments

[sollersuk]

He would strictly be an external student of the University of London, and as such would have access to the libraries in London; it was also much easier in those days to gain access to the library at the British Museum. This contains, as a legal right, a copy of every book published in England and Wales (not totally sure about Scotland); the same applies to Oxford and Cambridge, who also get a copy of everything, but as his primary access would be to college libraries and Senate House library, that would be the logical place to go. The only reason to go elsewhere would be to look at manuscripts, but the likelihood of his doing an external first degree that involved actually dealing with manuscripts is very small.

He would probably have a letter of introduction from his lecturer. Be careful about terminology, whether writing or searching: "professor" is restricted to very few people, normally heads of departments, and we don't use "alumnus". "Graduate" is the usual term.

[sollersuk]

Sorry, I hadn't fully read the question; I see now that he already has a first degree

[jat_sapphire]

*depressed* That's a good point about the script. Huh, I'll think about that. Thanks for bringing it up!

[sollersuk]

A couple of years ago I shelled out slightly more than I could afford for a book on scripts. 16th century chancery hand is a major pain. Medieval Gothic is a different kind of pain; my friend described "inimicus" as "fence with 9 uprights, cus". And in the 19th century, "Nimue" was read as "Vivi...". I do so wish from the bottom of my heart that everybody had stuck with Caroline Minuscule, which is wonderfully legible. God bless Alcuin, on whose handwriting it was based.

[bopeepsheep]

The rules of admission to the [Bodleian] Library have not substantially changed since the 17th century. Bodley's promise would have been administered in Latin, not English, unless there was a good reason not to do so, but otherwise the general rules were similar, just stricter - no outside students, no locals with a whim. A letter or personal introduction from a recognised person with strong affiliation to the University*, would be ok for general access. For manuscript access either Bodley's Librarian or the Superintendent of Duke Humfrey's Library [note spelling!] might wish to interview the man, but it would depend what he wanted access to and why. Gloves would be allowed, pencils were allowed, and I'm fairly sure that in the 1920s there was very little in the way of security, given the number of later-reported thefts during that period (usually, books turned up in people's libraries after their death and were returned to the Library). It was a 'gentleman's agreement' set-up and gentlemen were not supposed to steal. (Theft from open

[deepbluemermaid]

Ask Charles I.

Hee! I just love that story. One of the many postcards I bought at the Bod gift shop was a reproduction of either Charles' borrowing request or the reply denying him the privilege.

I wonder whether the Librarian at that time was a supporter of Parliament or just a stickler for the rules...

[bopeepsheep]

Good question! DNB says The presence of soldiery from both sides posed a threat; and [John] Rouse received a request from King Charles for the loan of Agrippa d'Aubigné's Histoire universelle, a request which he declined, in conformity with the statutes of the library. The king gracefully accepted the refusal. Although his own sympathies may have been with the parliament, Rouse subscribed £50 in 1643 to maintain soldiers. I suspect he was just being very careful either way. :D

Oh yes, OP: the Bodley's Librarian you want for your purposes is Sir Arthur Cowley, who oversaw the separation of the law and science libraries, and suggested the building of the New Bod.

[jat_sapphire]

Sorry for the spelling gaffe, and I would HUGELY appreciate a history of Bodley if you do remember any titles. I think I can work in a personal introduction, in fact that's how I wanted to do it.

The thread about the Charles I story inspired another Google search that did turn up Annals of the Bodleian Library in Googlebooks, though its coverage sadly ends in 1867, and a 1919 publication called The Bodleian Library at Oxford, Briefly Described. Googlebooks: like a pinata, in a way--you have to know how to hit it and try again and again.

Thanks!

[jayb111]

I have a London external BA, and unless the question specifically comes up, there's no reason why anyone should know he has an external degree. If introducing himself by letter, he'd simply say 'I am a graduate of the University of London' or alternatively not say anything in the body of the letter, just sign himself 'John Smith, B.A. (Hons), London

[jat_sapphire]

Thanks for the external degree information! Yes, it is a fanfic. I may have to have him enlist help...I'm not sure. It may suit my fictional purposes even for him to NOT be able to do the primary research.

I just find that real information is more fun than faux, even for slight fanfic-y things. I get better ideas. Also, once I found, say, an online underwear museum or the Gallery of Regrettable Food, how could I possibly not keep looking up?

[deepbluemermaid]

I am currently an Oxford doctoral student, and a former library assistant at the Bodleian and my college library. Since others have discussed the Bod's rules, I'll discuss access to the Pembroke library

[bopeepsheep]

Yes to 'reader ticket': small greyish cardboard stubs (linked to bound books with handwritten entries, which make for fascinating reading if you can ever get to see them). Switched to printed cards in the 1980s (with index cards and user photographs in the files), then to the computer-generated cards in the 1990s.

[jat_sapphire]

Thanks! This kind of descriptive information is what I wanted most.

[sollersuk]

A little addendum, due to the fact that this is Sunday evening and as usual I have had a very good meal with wine to accompany it.

Someone I knew some decades ago was working from books in the British Library. The system was that you filled in a form, gave it to the librarians, and they would bring the book to the desk where you were working... or not, as the case may be.

She filled in the form, and got delivered to her a slip saying that the book was not available because it was destroyed by enemy action. A common type of thing as a lot of books were destroyed during WWII.

In this case, however, she went straight back to the desk, and said, "Do you know something I don't know? Because I was working from that book this morning!"

(Likeliest explanation: she put her chit in at teatime, and they couldn't be arsed)