In Which I Descend Into The Earth to Read

Okay, so that title is more than a little over-dramatic. Although, the claustrophobic might think that the Lower Gladstone Link does indeed feel like that. But let me back up.

This week, week 5 of 8 in the Oxford term, I am studying medieval Scotland. As my tutor said, I just spent 4 weeks studying English history in this period (and haven't covered everything--we're looking at English-Scottish conflicts next week, I believe) and I only have one to study Scotland. Yikes.

Now, Scotland is apparently not the most popular topic of study in Oxford. Because out of the 35 or so books I searched for, New College only had four. Which means those are the only four I can check out--anything else I have to read in various parts of the Bodleian library. Which brings me to the Gladstone Link.

The Gladstone Link is, at its most basic, a tunnel connecting the old Bodleian library with the Radcliffe Camera. Presumably so the shy intellectuals don't have to mingle with the unwashed masses of humanity above ground to get from one to the other. Or to keep dry in the rain.

That's sorta-approximately where the link is. It's not that straight.

So let's say you go into the old library. And you want to get to the Rad Cam. You go down the stairs (rather than up to the reading rooms), about one level down. You enter a tunnel. (Fun fact--the Link was undergoing renovations when I was visiting in 2012.)

The Link Tunnel

 But, as the British by necessity of their tiny island need to make use of every bit of space available, the Gladstone Link is also two (small) floors of TIGHT shelving. I mean, the shelves move so you can fit as many as possible and still fit between them. The Upper Gladstone Link you pass through when using the Link as a commute. It has a lot of old metal shelves as well as new shelves.

Original shelving in upper GL via:
http://blogs.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/history/files/2014/07/Gladstone-shelving1.jpg

Anyway. Now I've just walked through the Link. But today, I had to find a book. A book that apparently had to be buried in the Lower Gladstone Link (ba-bum-buuuuuummmmm). :P

So down another (narrow) set of stairs I go. Into the relatively low-ceiling-ed Lower Gladstone Link. There's no sunlight. No windows. It's underground. Duh. The shelves move side-to-side, and have notes on them saying 'Check that the aisle is clear and then gently turn wheel to move shelves.' Once moved, the space between shelves is pretty narrow--and the entire time I was between them I was thinking 'what if someone forgets to check that the aisle is clear?!

Shelving in the lower GL

Anyway. I survived. I got my book. I read it. I really liked it. So I decided to purchase the Kindle edition when I got home. haha ;)

Then I ate an entire oven pizza for dinner and two chocolate chip digestives. I guess this makes me a stereotypical college student. :P

Anywho. Until next time--cheerio!