When you want to see old historical buildings this is the place to go! Before going up to the library we were taken on a tour of the first floor. This is where the court used to come and some weddings are still held today. This university used to be a guild focused of religion and education. With 23,000 students at Oxford University the study body is very large and diverse with students coming from over 140 different countries. Below the library are rooms in which courts were held in the town for anything ranging from disputes to disciplinary hearings. The very first hall we entered is known at the Theology hall, where students would stand on raised platforms and discuss/argue different theologies during class. When the library opened, no open flames were permitted regardless if it was for heat or light. So for many years the library would only be able to be used during good daylight hours, while the winter months would leave the library a very cold place to be. Some of the books are not allowed to be checked out, not even the king could check them out. They have a private reading room (that we didn't get to see or go into) made for the kings privacy while reading books that could not be checked out. We were given a tour of not only the library but the rooms down stairs as well. The ceiling of the Theology Hall was beautifully crafted and can leave on-lookers in awe of the intricacy.
Check out more on the library here: https://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/
