The Gladstone Link is an underground library of the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

that connects the

Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1602 by Sir Thomas Bodley, it is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second-largest library in ...

with the

Radcliffe Camera The Radcliffe Camera (colloquially known as the "Rad Cam" or "The Camera"; from Latin , meaning 'room') is a building of the University of Oxford, England, designed by James Gibbs in a Baroque style and built in 1737–49 to house the Radclif ...

. It was developed and opened to readers on 5 July 2011. It is named after former

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

William Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British politican, starting as Conservative MP for Newark and later becoming the leader of the Liberal Party. In a career lasting over 60 years, he was Prime Minister ...

, who had also studied at Christ Church. It is more modern than traditional Oxford Libraries, many of which are members of the

Bodleian Libraries The Bodleian Libraries are a collection of 28 libraries that serve the University of Oxford in England, including the Bodleian Library itself, as well as many other (but not all) central and faculty libraries. As of the 2021–2022 report year, ...

History

The tunnels in which the library is now located were previously the Underground Bookstore. The tunnels were used for transporting books between the Old Bodleian and New Bodleian libraries (now

Weston Library The Weston Library is part of the Bodleian Library, the main research library of the University of Oxford, reopened within the former New Bodleian Library building on the corner of Broad Street and Parks Road in central Oxford, England. Hi ...

) and to the Radcliffe Camera. The books were transported via conveyor; a section of this system is preserved in the New Bodleian tunnel. When the New Bodleian was developed into the

, a shift to open shelving was made so that the transportation of books from the vaults was no longer needed. This development changed the way books and materials were moved around the Central Bodleian Complex. This system of movement, however, is now being refurbished and reinstated. Since the Weston Library stores delicate and rare materials, the tunnel will be used to prevent these materials from facing exposure to the elements during their transportation.

Layout

The Gladstone Link has two levels, the upper and lower levels. The Gladstone Link is accessed via the lower reading room in the Radcliffe Camera. A platform lift provides greater access for readers with disabilities. From the Bodleian side, access is available via a tunnel from the north staircase. The Upper Gladstone Link is home to the History Faculty main lending library, which continues from the Lower Camera Reading Room. The Lower Gladstone Link houses a collection of widely read Bodleian library material which was previously only available by request off closed stacks.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gladstone Link 2011 establishments in England Libraries established in 2011 Libraries of the University of Oxford Bodleian Library