"When universities began to emerge in Europe during the eleventh and twelfth centuries, they soon became important centres of knowledge. Their libraries could hold hundreds of books, and many of the most valuable volumes were kept under close control - sometimes even chained to desks. We have few details about how medieval university libraries operated, but a revealing set of rubric headings survives from the University of Angers in western France."
"Written in 1431, it outlines the regulations governing the library and the duties of its custodian. While it does not preserve every practical detail, it shows what mattered most: who could enter, when the library opened and closed, how books could be borrowed, and what happened to those who broke the rules. It also makes clear that the custodian's role carried real responsibility - including taking an oath - and that readers were expected to follow strict behaviour inside the library,"
Universities emerged in Europe in the eleventh and twelfth centuries and developed libraries holding hundreds of books, with valuable volumes sometimes chained to desks. A set of rubric headings from the University of Angers (1431) records regulations for a common library and the duties of its custodian. The custodian took an oath and executed general regimen and custody. The library's access was restricted to certain persons, with specified opening and closing hours on lecture days, non-lecture days, feast days, and vacations. Rules governed borrowing chained books, annual visitation, privileges of the custodian, and penalties for noise, overdue books, and other infractions.
Read at Medievalists.net
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]