Time for another @bodleian.ox.ac.uk #Maps blog from @debbietheduck.bsky.social on C19 #European #post roads, with an intriguing publishing backstory. Learn more about the "disappearing engraver" at: blogs.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/maps/ @bcsmaps.bsky.social @maproomblog.com @mapsmania.bsky.social

📚If you’re about to start at Oxford, we hope to become some of your favourite places 📸😉 The Bod isn’t just one library — it’s over 25, with millions of resources. It’s also a Legal Deposit Library, which means it holds (nearly) every item published in the UK and Ireland. 🤯

📢Booking is now open for two free events! 24 October - The Two Beginnings of Kafka's The Castle with Dirk Oschmann tinyurl.com/3bwuvnjk 7 November - How to Research Like a Dog: Kafka's New Science with Aaron Schuster tinyurl.com/4sa3d9n2 ⏰5pm 📍Taylorian, Oxford #franzkafka @bodleian.ox.ac.uk

Bodleian Libraries, Oxford University @bodleian.ox.ac.uk

dunno who needs to see this but medieval necromancy journal

Our medieval curator Alison Ray introduces Rawlinson Bodleian Library MS. Rawl. D. 252...a 15th Century necromancer's journal. This manuscript contains spells written in Latin and Middle English, and would have served as a reference for a professional sorcerer. #MedievalMonday

Photographs by DPhil Scholar Umair. For more of his work: www.instagram.com/umairatoxford/.

'Woke up this morning with a terrific urge to lie in bed all day and read. Fought against it for a minute. Then looked out the window at the rain. And gave over. Put myself entirely in the keep of this rainy morning' excerpt from Rain, by Raymond Carver.

John Leland, antiquary, chaplain & librarian to Henry VIII, pioneer of English local history & bibliography, born #OTD 1502; his records of antiquities & monastic libraries informed Camden’s Britannia. @bodleian.ox.ac.uk | Burgerbibliothek Bern

So enjoyed being in conversation with the great Ian McEwan in the Sheldonian last night for the launch of his 19th novel ‘What we can know’ in which @bodleian.ox.ac.uk features prominently! It is a brilliant book (from @jonathancape.bsky.social) and available from @blackwelloxford.bsky.social!

This video is too long for Bluesky but for those interested in cataloguing, library mistakes, and 14th or 5th century manuscripts: www.instagram.com/p/DJY84fNt2w...

Congratulations to our wonderful friend of the School Lanisha Butterfield who has been awarded 2025 Wainwright Prize Children's Book of the Year: Flower Block 🌻📖🏆👏🎉 @bodleian.ox.ac.uk @ox.ac.uk www.countryfile.com/reviews/book...

Congratulations to our multi-talented Head of Comms and inaugural winner of the Children's Wainwright Prize Book of the Year, Lanisha Butterfield, and illustrator Hoang Giang. Flower Block is “a love letter to [Lanisha's] working-class childhood". Read more: www.theguardian.com/books/2025/s....

Last few tickets remaining for Blackwells' Ian McEwan event with @richove.bsky.social at the beautiful Sheldonian Theatre this Saturday. All ticket purchases include a copy of McEwan's new book, 'What We Can Know'. visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/event/sep25/...

The Radcliffe Camera: beautiful since 1737. With thanks to student Shabnam Taghiyeva for the video.

Don't forget: this weekend as part of Oxford Open Doors 2025, the Bodleian Libraries will be opening up some of our spaces and showing off collections not usually accessible to the public. More information: visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/event/sep25/...

Time for another @bodleian.ox.ac.uk #Maps blog by @stuartackland.bsky.social, exploring the career of Dutch polymath Jan Huygen van Linschoten (1563-1611). Itineraries, the mapping of what became #Indonesia, and even espionage feature prominently. blogs.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/maps/ @bcsmaps.bsky.social

It was too cloudy to see the lunar eclipse tonight, so here’s some fun diagrams of eclipses from a 13th century astronomical compilation, now @bodleian.ox.ac.uk MS. Arch. Selden. B. 34, f. 47v 🌘

Slightly diminish a book The Thief's Safe Bet

In case you missed it: The Observer shared a story about our upcoming exhibition 'John le Carré: Tradecraft'. Read all about John le Carré’s shadow world of secret informers here: observer.co.uk/style/featur....

Join MED:EL (the world's leading hearing implant company) at the Bodleian for a free, in-person educational session exploring the science, innovation, & human stories behind cochlear implants. Register here: bit.ly/4mKGgy8 9 Sept | 10am–12pm | Weston Library

Excellent piece by Mark Lawson in today’s @theguardian.com reviewing ‘Now Whitehouse’, the new play by @carolinebirduk.bsky.social on Mary Whitehouse. Caroline used the Mary Whitehouse archive @bodleian.ox.ac.uk as part of her research for the play. www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/s...

The 2025 Richard Benson Lecture in the Reproduced Image (@bodleian.ox.ac.uk) will be given by Joel Meyerowitz, reflecting on his career through his photobooks. 28 October 2025 Weston Library. Book now to avoid disappointment! visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/event/oct25/...

September is time for threshing with a flail. #medievalcalendar Bodleian Library MS. Rawl. D. 939; Astrological and ecclesiastical calendar in six pieces; 14th century; England; section 2ar @bodleian.ox.ac.uk

As part of their Wellbeing collection, students at Oxford can now view copies of Willow Studies and Two Pines at the Bodleian Old Library, @bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

A little while ago I was interviewed by the lovely Julian Morrow at ABC Radio about my @bodleian.ox.ac.uk Publishing book ✨Book Curses✨, and it aired a few weekends ago!

Flying high. #medievalsky @bodleian.ox.ac.uk MS. Douce 62, f. 22v

Join MED:EL (the world's leading hearing implant company) at the Bodleian for a free, in-person educational session exploring the science, innovation, & human stories behind cochlear implants. Register here: bit.ly/4mKGgy8 9 Sept | 10am–12pm | Weston Library

can’t stop thinking about Rawlinson MS D.252, our necromancer’s journal…….🧙✨🪄🔮 www.tiktok.com/@bodleianlib...

The Humanities Library now has a Bluesky page ahead of their opening in time for the new academic year. Do give them a follow if you're a Bodleian Reader for service updates and more.

🤣🤣

Every library should have an on-site necromancer. … Wait, did I misread this? No. I’m going with necromancer. Tis the season!

I presume that you've tested this to make sure it doesn't work before releasing it to the public? 😆

This morning we're tittering at your replies to Alison and her necromancer's journal. Yep, this is a spell book, which you can see more of on Digital Bodleian and soon on our social channels: digital.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/objects/3d22...

View of Venice with leave taking and departure of Marco Polo’s father and uncle embarking in sail-ships to set up as merchants in the East Bodleian Library MS. Bodl. 264, pt. III; Li Livres du Graunt Caam; c.1400 CE; England; f.218r @bodleian.ox.ac.uk

More of a case of no longer seen on a map. The volcanic island of Krakatoa exploded in late August 1883, killing over 36,000 people and sending shock waves around the World. Here are 2 admiralty charts from before and after showing the change in landscape caused by the eruption, @bodleian.ox.ac.uk

Our number one in-house medievalist! New necromancer's journal content coming soon, stay tuned.

Our medieval offerings for #InternationalDogDay: 1. Dog leaps over an initial in Ms Bodl 264. 2.'Drop it!': a dog with a rabbit in its mouth runs away from its owner. MS Bodl 264. 3. Dog jousts a monkey MS Douce 131. 4. Lapdog sits by their ailing mistress MS. Douce 195.

Dog Days! Fantastic illustrations of the Canis Major constellation appear in these two @bodleian.ox.ac.uk medieval astronomical texts to celebrate #InternationalDogDay! 🐶⭐️

Reminder! The Bodleian Book Hospital is open tomorrow (Friday 22 August). 11am-3pm. In Blackwell Hall. Meet real life Bodleian conservators who will help rescue battered and beloved children's books. Free, no booking required.

80% respondents to this snapshot survey of how library and information professionals are engaging with #AI, want support in the form of short courses and webinars. I suggest you check out upcoming courses from the @cilip.bsky.social @ukeig.bsky.social www.cilip.org.uk/events/event...

Although this is not our *preferred* way for authors to submit their books, it does give a charming glimpse of the city of Oxford and many Bodleian sites. From around 3 minutes in: www.youtube.com/watch?v=q433... (featuring the Rad Cam, the Divinity School Proscholium, and Old Schools Quad).

Did you know? The Divinity School was built between 1427-1483, making it one year older than the Aztec Empire 🤯. It's one of the oldest surviving purpose-built university buildings and was originally used as a lecture hall for theology. The architecture is in the Perpendicular Gothic style.

📣 We're looking for a new chair for the CILIP LGBTQ+ Network. To apply, please send a short CV and cover letter to Beth Montague-Hellen at [email protected] #LISjobs #libraries #Library #volunteers 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️📚

Empty words. #medievalsky @bodleian.ox.ac.uk MS. Canon. Misc. 110, f. 149v

Could you be the next Chair of the CILIP LGBTQ+ network?

How to best organize one's book collection? According to Humfrey Wanley, famed librarian to the earl of Oxford, formerly of @bodleian.ox.ac.uk: "Books of a Bigness [should] be sett together, without respect of Faculty, Art or Language" #skystorians

New Fellowships @bodleian.ox.ac.uk . Congrats. Fascinating topics.

Our wonderful Library is featured in Geoffrey Tyack and Dan Paton's "Oxford Libraries Architecture" published by @bodleian.ox.ac.uk . More info on the book 👉https://f.mtr.cool/iytcqbzmqm

Bodleian Book Hospital. 22 August, 11.00–15.00. Bring flapless lift-the-flaps & scribbled on bedtime stories to the Bodleian Book Hospital where our Conservation Team will fix 'well-loved' favourites and show little ones how to care for treasured tomes. visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/event/summer...