The Bod

Today we went and got our Bodleian Library cards. The Bodleian is one of Britain's six copyright libraries, meaning that it has a copy of every book published since the 17th Century (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodleian). So this is no ordinary library, to say the least. And the introductory ceremony fits with that theme. All nine of us are led into a wooden room with massive doors and a twenty foot wooden table (older than all of us combined) by a woman in black robes. She is the "Admissions Director" for the Bod, and after introducing us to some of the history of the library she explains the real reason we are all there. In order to receive our library cards, we must recite an oath, as follows:

I hereby undertake not to remove from the Library, nor to mark, deface, or injure in any way, any volume, document or other object belonging to it or in its custody; not to bring into the Library, or kindle therein, any fire or flame, and not to smoke in the Library; and I promise to obey all rules of the Library.

So that was how we spent our morning, each of us in turn showed her our Passport (to prove our identity) and recited the oath. One of those "I'm not in Claremont anymore" moments.