I have quoted the leading sentences in full,
stepladders have been banned from part of Oxford University's historic Bodleian library - because of health and safety fears, the ruling by officials means that students cannot use items on the higher shelves of the Duke Humfrey reading room, however, the university is standing its ground and refusing to move the books from their 'original historic location' on the room's balcony,
as a result of the stalemate, students have to travel to libraries as far away as London to view other copies, art History student Kelsey Williams, 21, had to travel 80 miles to London to view a copy of Arthur Johnston's 1637 work Delitiae Poetarum Scotorum after librarians refused to get it down for her, She said: 'Access to these books is necessary for my research and I wasted a day travelling to London and looking at the one in the British Library, it's madness because I can practically see the Bodleian's copy every time I walk into Duke Humfrey's.' stepladders have been used by scholars to reach books since the library was built more than 400 years ago,
but the University's Health and Safety officer put his foot down last year and they were removed two weeks ago, a notice given to students requesting the books reads: 'Unable to fetch, book kept on top shelf in gallery, due to new health and safety measures, stepladders can no longer be used.'
Laurence Benson, the library's director of administration and finance, said 'The library would prefer to keep the books in their original historic location - where they have been safely consulted for 400 years prior to the instructions from the Health and Safety office.'
as an aside the Humfrey's library was used in the library scenes of the Harry Potter films if you are a fan of them,
although I do not have the official figures I guess the number of learned scholars that have suffered death or injury from falling from the libraries stepladder is a big round zero!
Saturday, 9 May 2009
Health And Saftey Officals Really Are Mad!
I had to read this one twice and then confirm it was not April Fools day!
I have quoted the leading sentences in full,
stepladders have been banned from part of Oxford University's historic Bodleian library - because of health and safety fears, the ruling by officials means that students cannot use items on the higher shelves of the Duke Humfrey reading room, however, the university is standing its ground and refusing to move the books from their 'original historic location' on the room's balcony,
as a result of the stalemate, students have to travel to libraries as far away as London to view other copies, art History student Kelsey Williams, 21, had to travel 80 miles to London to view a copy of Arthur Johnston's 1637 work Delitiae Poetarum Scotorum after librarians refused to get it down for her, She said: 'Access to these books is necessary for my research and I wasted a day travelling to London and looking at the one in the British Library, it's madness because I can practically see the Bodleian's copy every time I walk into Duke Humfrey's.' stepladders have been used by scholars to reach books since the library was built more than 400 years ago,
but the University's Health and Safety officer put his foot down last year and they were removed two weeks ago, a notice given to students requesting the books reads: 'Unable to fetch, book kept on top shelf in gallery, due to new health and safety measures, stepladders can no longer be used.'
Laurence Benson, the library's director of administration and finance, said 'The library would prefer to keep the books in their original historic location - where they have been safely consulted for 400 years prior to the instructions from the Health and Safety office.'
as an aside the Humfrey's library was used in the library scenes of the Harry Potter films if you are a fan of them,
although I do not have the official figures I guess the number of learned scholars that have suffered death or injury from falling from the libraries stepladder is a big round zero!
I have quoted the leading sentences in full,
stepladders have been banned from part of Oxford University's historic Bodleian library - because of health and safety fears, the ruling by officials means that students cannot use items on the higher shelves of the Duke Humfrey reading room, however, the university is standing its ground and refusing to move the books from their 'original historic location' on the room's balcony,
as a result of the stalemate, students have to travel to libraries as far away as London to view other copies, art History student Kelsey Williams, 21, had to travel 80 miles to London to view a copy of Arthur Johnston's 1637 work Delitiae Poetarum Scotorum after librarians refused to get it down for her, She said: 'Access to these books is necessary for my research and I wasted a day travelling to London and looking at the one in the British Library, it's madness because I can practically see the Bodleian's copy every time I walk into Duke Humfrey's.' stepladders have been used by scholars to reach books since the library was built more than 400 years ago,
but the University's Health and Safety officer put his foot down last year and they were removed two weeks ago, a notice given to students requesting the books reads: 'Unable to fetch, book kept on top shelf in gallery, due to new health and safety measures, stepladders can no longer be used.'
Laurence Benson, the library's director of administration and finance, said 'The library would prefer to keep the books in their original historic location - where they have been safely consulted for 400 years prior to the instructions from the Health and Safety office.'
as an aside the Humfrey's library was used in the library scenes of the Harry Potter films if you are a fan of them,
although I do not have the official figures I guess the number of learned scholars that have suffered death or injury from falling from the libraries stepladder is a big round zero!
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