Englands First Library
England’s First Library
In 1300, there were no libraries in England. There were book collections, and there were people interested in collecting the
great works of art and knowledge, but there were no libraries.
This changed in 1327, when Thomas Cobham helped create England’s first library. Thomas was a teacher, who felt that
students should have access to his collection of books free of charge. At first, he allowed students to use the books in his
office but decided that there should be a room set aside for a library. He established a fund to build a library at the University
of Oxford where he taught but died before construction began. When Cobham died, the university decided not to build the
library and tried to sell his books to collectors. The students spoke out against this, and soon Oxford established a library in an
existing building.
The books were placed in a room on the second floor of the University Church. The texts were chained to the shelves so they
could not be taken out of the room. This began the continuing tradition of the library not lending books to patrons. While the
University Church and the book room still exist, it is one of the few original buildings no longer used as a part of the library.
Instead, the book room was returned to the church and is used for its original purpose: church storage.
The collection slowly grew until 1435, when the king’s brother, Humphrey, the Duke of Gloucester, donated his collection of
almost 300 books to the library. The donation more than tripled the collection. Humphrey’s donation was so great that the
university had to build a new hall to hold all the books. This room, known as Duke Humphrey's Library, is still used as a
reading room for the library’s rarest books.
The next 100 years, however, saw a steady decline in the library's facilities and collections. The university leadership did not
value many of the books Humphrey had donated and saw the collection as a source of revenue. The university destroyed
many of the less popular books and sold valuable texts to collectors and scholars throughout London. By 1598, the library only
owned three of the 300 manuscripts Humphrey had donated.
In 1598, a new teacher at the university, Thomas Bodley, saw the terrible state of the library. He wrote a letter to the
university demanding that the library be rebuilt. He then offered to help fund and lead the restoration. In 1600, the teacher
began the task of rebuilding the Oxford University Library.
Some people donated to the library in order to promote learning, but many donors wanted to be recognized for their gifts to
the university. Bodley reached out to his rich friends by publishing a Benefactors’ Book. In this book, kept at the front of the
library, names of all the donors to the library were prominently displayed. Some donors placed their names inside the covers
of the manuscripts they donated. Some people donated so much money that library buildings and rooms were named in their
honor. Bodley encouraged competition among his friends by posting the names of the most generous above those who had not
given as much. In this way, the library’s collections grew, and within two years, the library owned more than 2,500 books.
2/9
Bodley then worked with major book publishers to expand the library’s collection. Bodley asked for a single copy of every new
book published to be donated to the library. He promised the publishers they could use the books, as needed, to produce
reprints, as long as they continued to donate to the library. This established the university library as a legal deposit library.
Writers establish their copyright of a book by providing a copy of it to the Bodleian Library. This is similar to how the Library of
Congress helps protect copyright in the United States. While Bodley promised this protection in 1603, it was made British law
in 1710. As such, the Bodleian Library is thought to hold a copy of every book published in Britain since 1710.
Another tradition begun by Thomas Bodley that continues today is that books are not loaned to readers. While students and
faculty have limited rights to borrow books from the library, the general public are not allowed to borrow books. In 1645, even
King Charles I was not allowed to take home a book from the library.
Thomas Bodley’s contribution to the library was so great, it continues to carry his name. The rarest books, including copies of
the Guttenberg Bible and Shakespeare’s First Folio, have been housed in the building named Bodley’s Treasures.
Bodley then worked with major book publishers to expand the library’s collection. Bodley asked for a single copy of every new
book published to be donated to the library. He promised the publishers they could use the books, as needed, to produce
reprints, as long as they continued to donate to the library. This established the university library as a legal deposit library.
Writers establish their copyright of a book by providing a copy of it to the Bodleian Library. This is similar to how the Library of
Congress helps protect copyright in the United States. While Bodley promised this protection in 1603, it was made British law
in 1710. As such, the Bodleian Library is thought to hold a copy of every book published in Britain since 1710.
Another tradition begun by Thomas Bodley that continues today is that books are not loaned to readers. While students and
faculty have limited rights to borrow books from the library, the general public are not allowed to borrow books. In 1645, even
King Charles I was not allowed to take home a book from the library.
Thomas Bodley’s contribution to the library was so great, it continues to carry his name. The rarest books, including copies of
the Guttenberg Bible and Shakespeare’s First Folio, have been housed in the building named Bodley’s Treasures.