If the collection of books at that time can be preserved to this day, it will certainly arouse people's great interest. The Duke of Humphrey was the first important patron of English new learning. His choice of books benefited from the guidance of the Milan humanist Pierre-candido de Kembrio. Many of the books he donated are newly discovered classical works, such as the Latin translations of Plato, Aristotle and Plutarch, and the works of Dante, Peterak and Boccaccio. Unfortunately, although Oxford College in16th century was very rich, the university authorities had almost no centralized funds to maintain library equipment or buy printed books to meet the demand at that time. As a result, the reading room was in disrepair, and the leather covers of many books were torn off and sold to bookbinding workers and tailors. 1556, Christian Church College bought all the furniture in the library. In the next 42 years, every college has its own library, but universities don't.
1598 On February 23rd, Thomas Bodley wrote to the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University: "There used to be a public library in Oxford, but now the old site is still there, but the books have been emptied, but it is still recorded in the constitution of the university. I am willing to repair at my own expense and re-equip seats, bookshelves, desks and other necessary items to stimulate the kindness and donation of others and help the library to re-equip books. " Bodley was born in 1545. His parents had strong Protestant beliefs and moved to Guinea during the reign of Queen Mary, where he grew up. After getting his degree in Oxford, he worked as a researcher at Merton College for 12 years, and then left Oxford to go to Europe as a diplomat, such as Germany, France and Italy. Before retiring, he had just served as a British envoy in the Netherlands for eight years. There, he must have visited Leiden University Library, which is open at 1594. Leiden's example may have influenced many of his own ideas about libraries and prompted him to write to Oxford University. If Leiden University, which has just been established for 20 years, can have a public library, how can an established university like Oxford not?
The Senate of Oxford University unanimously agreed to accept his proposal when it met on March 2, 1998. So the transformation of the library began immediately. By 1600, the restoration of the reading room had been completed, but the collection of books was still in progress. Knowing the importance of making a first impression on donors, Bodley postponed the official opening date to 1602 1 1.8. At this time, the shelves are already full of heavy folded books, and the total collection of the library has reached 299 manuscripts, 1700 printed books. Two years later, James I conferred the title of Sir Bodley and issued a charter to name the new library after him. 1605, when the first printed catalogue of the library was published, it had already listed 6,000 books, and the whole collection was recognized as very complete.
The original windows of Duke Humphrey's library forced Bodley to put desks protruding from the wall according to the medieval layout, but instead of using benches, he adopted a new partition bookshelf system which was first used in Merton College in 1590, because it could save the space for placing books. Each double-sided desk is equipped with three bookshelves. So as to split the chain in half. All the books on the bookshelf have their spines facing inward, and the covers on both sides of the books are connected with thin lines. When readers put the books back on the shelf, they must re-tie the lines. All the books are divided into four parts, and then arranged alphabetically by the author's name. Theological books occupy all the bookshelves in the south. Books on medicine, law and liberal arts (including mathematics, history, philosophy and all other subjects) are on the shelves in the north. Manuscripts and printed books are put together so that they can be consulted in the same reading room. The folded books are opened for readers to see, and a sign is nailed next to each bookshelf, which reads the bibliography of the bookshelf. Octopus and quarto need to fill in the book list, and the curator or his assistant will pick up the books on their behalf. These books were put in the hut at the east end, and later they were moved to the opposite wall gallery when there were more books. Particularly precious books are placed in two locked bookcases, and only the curator himself can take books from the bookcases. There are bright patterns on the ceiling, the Bodley coat of arms at the intersection of roof beams, and the Oxford University coat of arms on the lattice ceiling: Dominus illuminatio mea. This motto vividly reflects the founder's belief that academic research can draw strength from sacredness and gain faith from learning.