The Bodleian Library
Origins
Since 1949 the Bodleian Library has housed a practical printing workshop for teaching historical printing. Today a Columbian press, two Albions, a replica wooden press, a rolling press and a proofing press, along with a quantity of metal and wood type, are used in evening courses for adults, university teaching, schools visits, community open days and drop-in printing at public events.
In imitation of an earlier bibliographical press at Yale University, in 1949 a group of Bodleian staff and members of the Oxford English Faculty decided to establish a 'Bibliography Room,' a practical workshop where students could be taught printing on the hand-press and examine real examples of early books from a personal teaching collection assembled by one of the Bodleian staff, Strickland Gibson. The Oxford initiative was one of the early examples of the 'bibliographical press movement' described in an article by Philip Gaskell in the first issue of the Journal of the Printing Historical Society, in 1965. Along with the sincere teaching mission proclaimed by the founders there was certainly another motivation: they enjoyed printing.
Like other museums and heritage institutions, the Bodleian in recent decades has broadened the scope of its mission: instead of doing everything to keep the public out of the Library and hands off of rare books, now public activities and object-based learning are encouraged--with all due attention to the preservation of unique heritage collections. These activities take place in newly-built public and teaching areas within the Weston Library for Special Collections.
In effect the library has adopted the outlook of those founders of the Bibliography Room who recognised that (1) early books themselves could be the best teaching tools, and (2) instead of being a silent repository for books, the library could be a hub for people to share and exchange ideas and skills. Although rare books and inky hands still don't mix, active participatory learning is now one of the Bodleian's core activities as well as the mission of the Bibliographical Press.
The Bibliographical Press is part of the Bodleian Centre for the Study of the Book. You can get in touch at: csb@bodleian.ox.ac.uk
