The Bodleisdfgernen and St. Peter's

So yesterday, I went to The Bodleian, the library, which I will supposedly be using for most of my research while I'm here. The main building has these huge pointed gothic, spiky spires and all the doorways are enormous stone arches. Unfortunately I did not have my camera, but I will go back and take pictures because I thought it was beautiful. All the CMRS folks went together because we were going to get our "reader cards" (basically library cards, but much more so). After leaving St. Michael's Hall, we went through several snow covered alleys and courtyards, finally coming to a large wooden door in an archway, which was maybe 15 feet tall. The senior tutor, Mark Philpott, knocked solidly on the wooden door three times, and we waited as the sound echoed about the silent courtyard.

Then from behind us, came a woman walking quickly, telling us to go on in and apologizing for being late and not being inside to open to door. So it was a little anti-climatic, but we went in and got our Bodleian ID cards which allow us to go into the library. We can't check out books, no one can, but we can actually go upstairs to look at books, which you can't do if you don't have a card.

Also, it is a little confusing because most of the books aren't on shelves, they have over 8 million books, so you have to request them and then go pick them up in the reading room, where you can look at them. I'm not quite sure how to request them yet though.

Then we went to St. Peter's college where we got a tour of their library and common room (where they have dances) and chapel and bar. Oh, the Bodlien is the library for all of Oxford University. I still didn't have my camera here either, but I can go back and take some because I have to go there everyday to eat.

Speaking of eating, yesterday was our first time in the cafeteria. They have a small selection of food, most of which is served by the workers there. The line is separate from the eating area. For breakfast there were hash browns, eggs, baked beans and fruit and yogurt. Lunch was bread and salad and tomato soup and vegetables and potatoes. Dinner was potatoes and vegetables and mushroom ravioli. They do have meat options like chicken and beef, and they serve a lot of potatoes. We swipe our library cards after we get food to pay. There are three long tables the length of room and on the width of the room (this is at the end of the room, looking out over the room). That table is for tutors only and they have fancy bread and fruits on the table as well as their water pitchers. There are two tables for students and the St. Peter's College kids eat there as well, but I haven't talked to any of them. They also don't wear robes. The only Oxford affiliated person I've seen in robes has been the woman giving us the library cards at the Bodleien.

Then in the evening we went to lecture by one of CMRS' tutors, Dr. Crowe, who talked about the Renaissance and the ideas about art and the changing feelings of the people and the ideas that were present. We got a list of reading to do prepare for future lectures, but I have not started on that. I'm going to have to do a lot of reading here I think.

After all that I was pretty tired, so I hung out in my room read a little and just relaxed.