Gladstone Link

The Gladstone Link is an underground library that connects the Bodleian Library with the Radcliffe Camera.[1] It was developed and opened to readers on 5 July 2011. It is named after former Prime Minister William Gladstone, who had also studied at Christ Church.[2] It is more modern than traditional Oxford Libraries, many of which are members of the Bodleian Libraries.[3]

Gladstone Link
General information
LocationOxford, England
Coordinates51.7537°N 1.2541°W / 51.7537; -1.2541
AffiliationBodleian Library

History

The tunnels in which the library is now located were previously the Underground Bookstore.[4] The tunnels were used for transporting books between the Old Bodleian and New Bodleian libraries (now Weston Library) and to the Radcliffe Camera. The books were transported via conveyor; a section of this system is preserved in the New Bodleian tunnel.

When the New Bodleian was developed into the Weston Library, a shift to open shelving was made so that the transportation of books from the vaults was no longer needed.[5] This development changed the way books and materials were moved around the Central Bodleian Complex.[4]

Layout

The Gladstone Link has two levels, the upper and lower levels. The Gladstone Link is accessed via the lower reading room in the Radcliffe Camera. A platform lift provides greater access for readers with disabilities.[6] From the Bodleian side, access is available via a tunnel from the north staircase.[3]

The Upper Gladstone Link is home to the History Faculty main lending library, which continues from the Lower Camera Reading Room.[3]

The Lower Gladstone Link houses a collection of widely read Bodleian library material which was previously only available by request off closed stacks.[3]

References
  1. "Gladstone Link". Bodleian Libraries. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  2. "BBC - History - Historic Figures: William Ewart Gladstone (1809 - 1898)". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  3. "Bodleian Library (Old Library & Radcliffe Camera): Radcliffe Camera & Gladstone Link". Bodleian Libraries: University of Oxford. Archived from the original on 15 April 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  4. "Gladstone Link (previously Underground Bookstore)". Bodleian Libraries. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  5. "Gladstone Link (previously Underground Bookstore) - Bodleian Libraries". 17 June 2011. Archived from the original on 17 June 2011. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  6. "Gladstone Link (previously Underground Bookstore) - Bodleian Libraries". 17 June 2011. Archived from the original on 17 June 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
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