Bodley's Librarian Richard Ovenden wrote the book (literally) on the destruction of knowledge and what’s at risk if we don’t protect it. Hear him speak at the Friends of the Bodleian Annual Lecture. 🗓️ 14 May, 5.30-7.30pm Book now: https://visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/fob-annual-lecture

What book about birds should everyone read? 🐦 Drop your recommendation for our next Space for Reading. 📚 Share your suggestions here: https://forms.office.com/e/YSSuGHEKRb

The Star Wars Day x Medieval Monday mash up that no-one asked for or wanted... May the Fourth be with you. All images available on Digital Bodleian: MS. Douce 178, fol. 049v; MS. Bodl. 264, fol. 79r; MS. Bodl. 264, fol. 21v; MS. Bodl. 264, fol. 79v #MedievalMonday

ℹ️ Early May Bank Holiday: all our libraries are open and service as normal except the Bodleian Healthcare Libraries. The Weston Library will close at 5pm. Check your local library website for details: https://bit.ly/4wmHllw

Wonder of Birds - the Bodleian's latest exhibition. Mixing objects, art and research celebrate the wondrous creativity birds have always inspired in us. Inspired by Jackie Morris and Robert Macfarlane's The Book of Birds. Weston Library Free Until 3 January 2027

POV: when you work in central Oxford on May Day. Every 1 May at 6am in Oxford, Magdalen College Choir perform from the top of Magdalen Tower to announce the arrival of spring. And then afterwards the centre of the city comes alive with Morris dancers and performers.

From book burnings to misinformation, the fight over information hasn’t gone away, it’s changed form. We’re hosting our Friends of the Bodleian Annual Lecture on why this matters now more than ever. 🗓️ 14 May, 5.30-7.30pm 📍 Weston Library Book: https://visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/fob-annual-lecture

What book changed how you look at or feel about birds? 🐦 Tell us (and why) for our next Space for Reading. 📚 Share your suggestions here: https://forms.office.com/e/YSSuGHEKRb

Dawn Chorus Day Yoga 🐦 A gentle yoga session inspired by birdsong, in celebration of International Dawn Chorus Day. 📅 3 May | 11:15-12:00 📍 Weston Library 🧘 Bring your own mat Free (booking required): https://visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/event/2026/may/dawn-chorus-day-yoga

Happy Saint George’s Day! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 St George, best known for the story of the dragon, appears in (and even on, in the case of the binding shown here) many manuscripts across the Bodleian’s collections. 🐉 Shelfmarks: MS. Add. A. 185, fol. 061v MS. Douce 112, fol. 157r MS. Bodl. 523, spine and front board

Why are books destroyed? 📚 Join Bodley’s Librarian @richove.bsky.social for the Friends of the Bodleian Annual Lecture exploring the history of knowledge under attack and why it matters today. 🗓️ 14 May, 5.30-7.30pm 📍 Weston Library Book now: visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/fob-annual-l...

📢 Kafka events this term! ⏰ 8 May, 5.30pm - Kafka’s Dreams: A Fragile Legacy (Isolde Schiffermüller) 📍 Taylorian, Oxford or online ⏰4 June, 4pm - The Silent Songs of Josefine (Can Bilir) 🎼 📍 Holywell Music Room, Oxford Book your free place now: tinyurl.com/497z58aj #franzkafka

Taurus in medieval manuscripts ♉️🐂 Taurus is a bull because of the myth of Zeus and Europa. Medieval artists kept the symbol as part of the zodiac calendar. Shelfmarks: MS. Rawl. D. 1220, fol. 004r MS. Bodl. 266, fol. 108r MS. Auct. D. 2, fol. 4r MS. Canon. Misc. 46, fol. 113v #MedievalMonday

Welcome back to Trinity Term! Nothing like a first catch-up after the break 🥰 Shelfmark: MS. Bodl. 264, fol. 78r #TrinityTerm

Look closer… 👀 This isn’t just a tree, it's The Royal Oak, “in which may be discovered 20 likenesses of illustrious individuals” How many can you find? Shelfmark: Puzzle Pictures folder 2 (6)

Today is #WorldArtDay 🎨 Thank you to Finn Coburn for sharing this beautiful painting of the Duke Humfrey's Library! 🖼️ | hill.street.art (Instagram)

We’re proud to be part of the formal launch of the Libraries Alliance today at the British Academy in London. Libraries of all kinds are coming together as a unified voice, showing how libraries support people through every stage of life. [1/3]

The next @bodleian.ox.ac.uk Literary Walking Tour of Oxford takes place this Sunday. A city 'steeped in storytelling' from the fictional characters who have walked these streets to the authors - from world famous to the lesser known - who have made Oxford their home go.glam.ox.ac.uk/lit

Newly digitised Greek papyri from the Bodleian reveal the lives of ancient Egyptian gravediggers, including working as carers and taking part in legal affairs. 📜 [1/7]

Late in the evening OTD 1912 RMS Titanic hits one of the icebergs shown on this June 1912 chart of the North Atlantic. The Bodleian holds the Marconi archive and before the ship sank telegrams were sent both from the ship and to others in the area like this one, calling for help. @bodleian.ox.ac.uk

First full week back after the bank holidays… 📜 How are we feeling? 1, 2, 3 or 4? Shelfmarks: MS. Bodl. 264, fols. 74v, 78r, 86r, 97r #MedievalMonday

Today is #NationalPetDay 🐾 Meet Simpkin IV, adopted from Blue Cross and now a much-loved part of @hertfordcollege.bsky.social#NationalPetDaylife 💙 Do you have a rescue pet of your own? We’d love to hear their story - share it in the comments below ⬇️

This weekend the @bodleian.ox.ac.uk again acts as a host for an event in Oxford. The Oxford Folk Festival comes to the Weston Library, Blackwell Hall on Sunday - the line up is completely free of charge and open for all to drop in and enjoy the music go.glam.ox.ac.uk/folk

OTD 1912 RMS Titanic leaves berth 44, White Star Dock Southampton after taking on passengers, most of whom arrive at the Ocean Terminal train station. Ordnance Survey map from 1919, plan of Southampton Docks 1962. On route hundreds of nautical miles away the icebergs lie in wait @bodleian.ox.ac.uk

The lawn outside the Radcliffe Camera had a trim today 🌱 No, it’s not AI. Designed and carefully cut by James from our University Parks Estates team. 📷 Instagram | Jimigk13

Books that changed how we think about politics 📚 We asked colleagues at the @blavatnikschool.bsky.social to share the books that shaped their thinking. Here are some of their recommendations. ⬇️ [1/6]

The sun is out in Oxford this week 🌞 Explore historic spaces, admire the architecture and listen to stories at the heart of the University on a Bodleian guided tour! Book now: https://visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/tours

Today is World Health Day and this year's theme is "Together for health. Stand with science" - an appropriate day to thank our healthcare workers, scientists and researchers for their tremendous contributions to the advancement of medical science and patient care. www.who.int/campaigns/wo...

How to make a medieval Creme Egg 🐣 We’re resharing one of our favourites: a recipe inspired by MS. Ashmole 1439, fol. 39r, a 15th-century Middle English cookery book in the Bodleian’s collections. Recipes were read aloud by the head cook, leaving the rest to be worked out in the kitchen! #Easter

Boat Race ready 🚣 Best of luck to the Oxford crews! Shelfmark: MS. Gough Liturg. 2, fol. 082r

Good Friday ✝️ A gilded illustration from a 14th-century Florentine manuscript. Shelfmark: MS. Canon. Liturg. 382, fol. 132v

Visiting us this Easter weekend? 🐣 Opening hours vary across sites - check before you travel! 🔗 Visitors: https://visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/plan-your-visit#collapse4928471 🔗 Readers: https://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/libraries

Scaffolders will be working in the RAI foyer on Thurs 2 and Tues 7 April. The automated door will be out of use, access to the basement will be restricted and we expect noise disruption in the library. Earplugs are available at the desk! More at our blog: blogs.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/vhl/2026/04/...

NEW: Introducing the Bodleian Whispering Service. Too busy to read? Our expert librarians can now quietly narrate books, articles, and selected manuscripts directly to you in our reading rooms. Please note: whispering remains subject to standard library noise regulations.

Looking for fun half-term activities? Join us TODAY at the Weston Library for crafts, poetry, printing, and a chance to meet incredible guide dogs! Free and perfect for all ages, just drop in between 11:00-15:00. 🐾 Find out more: https://visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/family-fun

Last chance 🕵️‍♂️📚 John le Carré: Tradecraft closes 6 April. Explore the archive behind one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. 📍 Weston Library 🎟️ Free, no ticket required Find out more: https://visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/lecarre

Remember to change those clocks! ⏰ Shelmarks: MS. Bodl. 421, fol. 004v MS. Laud Misc. 570, fol. 28v MS. Rawl. D. 1220, fol. 032r #BritishSummerTime

Between spires and sunlight, a quieter view of the city 🌞 📍 Weston Library

Congratulations to children’s author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler on receiving the Bodley Medal! From their first collaboration - A Squash and A Squeeze to the recent announcement of The Gruffalo Granny, they have had such a positive impact on how children read. 📚🎨 #BodleyMedal

Brilliant blogpost by Péter Tóth on some of the @bodleian.ox.ac.uk's papyri: how to hire a wetnurse, why gravedigger families are fascinating, and much more blogs.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/theconveyor/...

To celebrate the start of the new @bodleian.ox.ac.uk exhibition, Pets and their people, our latest book display is focused on the Science of Pets. A fascinating collection of titles can be viewed in the Social Study area or remotely via ORLO go.glam.ox.ac.uk/BookDisplay

Oxford Literary Festival is back! 📚 We’re proud to be a cultural partner, with events across the Bodleian. Blackwell Hall at the Weston Library is this year’s festival hub, with extended opening hours throughout the festival. 📅 21–29 March For more information: https://visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/olf

Aries in medieval manuscripts ♈🐏 Medieval artists showed Aries as a ram, the first sign of the zodiac, marking the start of the astrological year in spring. Shelfmarks: MS. Rawl. D. 1220 fol. 003v MS. Bodl. 266 fol. 108r MS. Add. A. 46 fol. 002r MS. Rawl. D. 939 fol. 2br

Happy Nowruz 🌸 In this scene, Bārbad the Bard sings from the tree to King Khusraw Parvīz II and Queen Shīrīn in the royal garden at Nawrūz. Explore on Digital Bodleian: https://digital.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/objects/79361790-4671-4c4f-983a-c40044671f56/surfaces/ae6a71fb-fe47-47d9-ba21-2160ab67dffa/

Eid Mubarak to all those celebrating Eid al-Fitr in the UK and around the world 🌙✨ Shelfmark: MS. Bodl. Or. 793 Take a look at the manuscript on Digital Bodleian: https://digital.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/objects/1d091ec9-33f8-42d9-a620-141dfc7b1816/surfaces/368d0391-3f85-43df-9b07-869638189692/

📣 In Bloom: How Plants Change Our World is now open. ★ ★ ★ ★ The Guardian "There's much to savour" The Telegraph 🏛️ Ashmolean Members go for free with no need to book. 🌿 Start planning your visit: www.ashmolean.org/exhibition/i...

Please note that the Weston Library will be closed until 2pm today due to an event. We apologise for any inconvenience. For more information on planning your visit: visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/plan-your-vi... Thursday 19 March, 11am

Same quad, opposite windows 🔁 📍Clarendon Quadrangle

To tie in with the @bodleian.ox.ac.uk ‘Pets & their People exhibition (on at the Weston Library until 27 September 2026) we have created a pop-up book display. Find the display around the corner from our issue desk. Find out more about the exhibition and our display at tinyurl.com/zyecxpk9

Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona duit!🇮🇪 According tradition, St Patrick used the shamrock to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity. The symbol became linked with his teaching and remains central to modern celebrations. ☘️ Shelfmarks: MS. Tanner 17, fol. 031r MS. Douce 80, fol. 196r MS. Douce 256, fol. 013r