Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? No, thanks - this is our Valentine's Day reading this year! "The pleasures of a single life, The miseries of matrimony" is attributed to Edward "Ned" Ward and was published in the early 18th century. Happy Valentine's Day to all our members. 💕

This daguerreotype of Magdalen's President Martin Routh was taken on his 99th birthday on 18 September 1854. In it, he can be seen wearing his famous wig, more typical of fashions of the 1750s than the 1850s. See this, and the wig itself, in our Old Library. 📍Old Library 📆🕑 OPEN Today, 2-4:30pm

Last week, we cut the (spiderman, naturally) ribbon on our new Graphic Novels Collection. The collection consists of some 250 books, given by Peter Kessler and the late Rachel Cooke. You'll find the collection in the Longwall Library foyer, opposite the jigsaw puzzles & boardgames. Happy reading 📚️ 😀

This photo shows members of the Magdalen College Fire Brigade in 1935. Founded at some point before 1925, it was formed exclusively of college staff. College fire brigades would often compete with one another, including for a rowing ‘Challenge Cup’.

We're marking LGBTQ+ History Month in the Longwall library with this display ft. queer history, diary, memoir... There's even a graphic guide to lesbian & queer history too. Looking for more LGBTQ+ history & queer theory? Go to 👉 306.7 💥Graphic novels 👉 library foyer 🌱Self-help 👉 Rolling stacks

Happy #InternationalPuzzleDay. There's a new jigsaw puzzle in the Longwall Library foyer. Next time you take a much-needed study break, help us out with finding all the edge pieces.

Today is #LibraryShelfieDay. Here we have 3 shelves of beautifully bound books donated to the library by Francis Lascelles-Hadwen. Lascelles-Hadwen, who bound most of the books himself, was a Demy student at Magdalen in the 1940s.

An early modern 'side hustle' - servant wages could be poor at Magdalen, in the 16th century but there were opportunities for those employed by the college to supplement their income. This account book extract shows ‘Stayno’ being paid 3s 4d to make pottery jars for the visit in 1592 of Elizabeth I.

Today is Holocaust Memorial Day. The theme for HMD 2026, 'Bridging Generations', is a call-to-action. A reminder that the responsibility of remembrance doesn't end with the survivors - it lives on through their children, their grandchildren and through all of us.

Happy #BurnsNight. This portrait of Burns (the original hangs in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery) by Alexander Nasmyth is reproduced in the first volume of his collected works. You can borrow all three volumes from the Longwall Library.

We like to think it's more than 'tone' but we enjoyed this library love in 'The Last Continent' by Terry Pratchett.

#OnThisDay in 1946, the writer Julian Barnes was born. Barnes studied at Magdalen between 1964-8. We have several of his books in our Magdalen Authors Collection, including his Man Booker prizewinning novel, The Sense of an Ending. Happy 80th birthday to Julian Barnes! 🎈🎂🎉

This #BlueMonday, we hope these Blue Sky images taken around college brighten your day. 💙

This is one of nearly 140 medieval wooden boxes in which Magdalen’s collection of over 13,000 medieval deeds are still kept. Containing documents relating to land and property at Wootton, Oxfordshire, it is today housed in the college’s purpose-built fifteenth-century muniment room.

Ever wondered who this is above the Old Library door? Now is your chance to find out about him! Special Collections Librarian Jessica has published a new blog post on Bishop John Warner: www.magd.ox.ac.uk/blog/bishop-...

New Year, Old Manuscripts - now available to read digitally. We've just added another 2 manuscripts to Digital Bodleian. First we have MS Lat 45, Les cronycles by Nicholas Trivet, an Anglo-French manuscript dating back to the 14th century. digital.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/objects/0cd6...

Here's a #HigherEducationPostcard of @magdalenoxford.bsky.social It was founded in 1458 by William of Waynflete, then Bishop of Winchester "Mrs Cass asked me to send you this with her love - also the Cromer one" If you like this image, please repost it - remember, BlueSky has #NoAlgorithm

To those who celebrate Christmas – and to those who don’t – we hope you have a wonderful day. Quoted in 'Aspects of Wilde' by Vincent O’Sullivan, published by Constable and Company. #WeeklyWildeWitticism

We’re rounding off our #Magdvent calendar with another snowy scene #FromTheArchives. So, while we don’t have reindeer, we can give you snowdeer! This photo of the deer park covered in snow was taken in 1966.

For today’s #Magdvent, we have: the Library team! Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!🎄🎁🎇

Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly. This illustration of a Holly tree, drawn by Alexander Hunter, comes from Silva: or, a discourse of forest-trees by John Evelyn published in 1776 housed in our Old Library (ref. R.12.9). At Magdalen, we have some holly growing in the Fellows’ Garden. #Magdvent

Did you attend this year’s Carols by Candlelight? First organised by John Bloxam in the 1840s, Magdalen’s choir has a long tradition of singing carols and giving readings at Christmastime services.

We’re sure that lots of children will be getting teddy bears for Christmas. Let’s hope they’re as well-loved as this teddy bear, Archie, who belonged to Magdalen alumnus John Betjeman. Archie returned to Magdalen for a visit. Find out more in our new exhibition: archieandthepoet.magd.ox.ac.uk

Basil has a Christmas-cracker-worthy joke for you (i.e. a terrible one)! #Magdvent

This Christmas card was sent to JCR Steward, Joseph W. Gynes, by a former student Samuel Whitnall in 1927. What it lacks in design, it makes up for in sentiment. Whitnall asks recipients to think of him, and other distant friends, fondly in their prayers and reflections – which he will do in return.

Yesterday’s post was all about Austen. Today’s is about another hugely influential British artist: the painter J. M. W. Turner. Turner and Austen were both born in 1775 – 250 years ago. Magdalen is fortunate to own these Turner drawings which are on display in the library, to mark the anniversary.

Only out of context could the words of Caroline Bingley make so much sense! Here at Magdalen Library, we have been enjoying the explosion of Austen-related books published this year to mark the great author’s 250th birthday. Austen was born #OnThisDay in 1775. Take a look at our book display.

Here’s a list of what Basil will be watching over the Christmas vacation. While we don’t have any of these classic badger tails on DVD, we do have plenty of festive favourites available for you to borrow in our film collection. #Magdvent

We certainly wouldn’t mind getting these books for Christmas. These rare editions of works by Oscar Wilde were all previously given as gifts. They feature in our new exhibition: Wild About Printing. #WeeklyWildeWitticism wildaboutprinting.magd.ox.ac.uk

This photograph of a snowy High Street was likely taken in the 1870s. It’s from an album which belonged to Jules Guggenheim, a Hungarian émigré, who had a photography studio at 56 High Street between the 1860s and 1880s.

For today’s #Magdvent, we have a Christmas Eve concert programme from 1952. This copy is from the papers of Harold Boult, who was a Lay Clerk at Magdalen between 1932-1958. During his time at the College, he sang bass decani in the College Choir – and would have performed in this very concert.

For today’s #Magdvent we have our Archives Team: Richard, Emily, and Claudia. Together, they manage one of the largest and richest archives of any Oxbridge college, with records stretching over more than a kilometre of shelving and dating from the 1120s to the present day.

This extract is from ‘Cup and Bells’, a short story written by a member of Magdalen staff from the 1930s. Inspired by Magdalen’s annual Christmas Eve carol service, it is a comic mystery about the misplacement of the college’s Founder’s Cup. See this, and more, at the Old Library TODAY 2-4:30pm

It's not just at Christmas that the library gets gifts. Here we have some lovely editions of Oscar Wilde books which were gifted to us earlier in the year by an Old Member. They were previously owned by our late President, Tony Smith. #Magdvent #WeeklyWildeWitticism

As we get closer to the big day, these images from the Old Library remind us of what Christmas is all about.

Here we have a MC Dramatic Society dinner menu, for a meal that was held after a performance of Two Gentlemen of Soho, which ran from Dec 3rd-7th 1928. The players enjoyed four courses. As is traditional, attendees have all signed the menu, including the play's producer John Betjeman.

It’s officially the end of term! Basil has a pile of fabulous books to read over the vacation – and so can you. Renew your books now for a due date of Thursday 22nd January.

Are you dreaming of a White Christmas? We’re not sure our favourite alumnus, Oscar Wilde, would agree. Here we have our Longwall Library covered in a light dusting of snow.

For today's #Magdvent, we have: a theatre programme from a production by Magdalen College Dramatic Society. Two Gentleman of Soho ran from December 3rd-7th, 97 years ago. It was produced by the poet John Betjeman, who was a student at Magdalen in the 1920s. [ref. Acc2025/158]

For today's #Magdvent, we have: Gunner's scrapbook, featuring royalty. Compiled by JCR Steward Richard Gunstone, this scrapbook is packed with items about the ‘great and the good’ who passed through our doors- including the future Edward VIII. See this, and more, in the Old Library: TODAY 2-4:30pm

Each year, the kitchen team generously delivers a Christmas pudding to every member of College staff. Here we have a recipe for Christmas pudding from 'Handbook of practical cookery' by Matilda Lees Dods. We’re not sure what recipe our chefs follow, but it is delicious! 😋😋😋

Happy #Magdvent! This snowy view of Magdalen’s Great Tower #FromTheArchives, was photographed in the 1950s. Some parts of College have changed very little over the decades and it’s only from the clothing and cars featured in other photographs, filed alongside this one, that we can estimate the date.

With the beginning of Advent tomorrow, we will be sharing our annual #Magdvent Calendar. Stay tuned as we share something special from our library and archives collections every day for the next 24 days. Happy #Magdvent! 🎄🎅🏻🎁

We always knew Basil was destined to be a star! 🌟🎄 Please help us decorate our Christmas tree. You'll find baubles next to the tree in the Longwall Library foyer.

Our exhibition 'The spirit of the place':Magdalen College and its staff from foundation to the present day is OPEN TODAY 2-4:30pm in our Old Library. Included in the exhibition are Magdalen's College Statutes (Archive reference: MS/278), as written by founder William Waynflete (c. 1395-1486).

🐦🐥We think we may have come up with a new verse for The Twelve Days of Christmas carol: On the 13th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me... a Heron on an Oak Tree. Spotted by our Assistant Archivist, Emily, on Addison's Walk. One month to go to Christmas!🐦🐥

🎬🍿🎥Earlier this month we were treated to an interview with Stephen Fry, in which he talked about his favourite films. For his Desert Island Movies, Sir Stephen chose: Gaslight (1940) His girl Friday The life and death of Colonel Blimp The man who shot Liberty Valance 12 Angry men The verdict

With the recent drop in temperatures outside, we are monitoring the heating levels in the library - please do let us know if you have any feedback about the temperature in the library.

We've marked Transgender Awareness Week (13 - 19 November) with this display in the Longwall Library - a selection of books and e-books on transgender identities and histories, including non-fiction, memoir, and creative anthologies.

📣📣New exhibition: The Spirit of the Place: Magdalen College and its staff from foundation to the present day 📣📣 Our latest exhibition, celebrating the contributions made by staff to Magdalen’s past and present, is now OPEN. OPENS TODAY 2-4:30pm in our Old Library. Online version coming soon!