Exploring the Bodleian Library in Oxford

The library was formally re-opened in 1602 under the name Bodleian Library by Sir Thomas Bodley, following a period of decline for the earlier university library collection.

The library expanded its facilities between 1610 and 1612 with the creation of the Arts End, followed by further expansion between 1634 and 1637.

The Schools Quadrangle, also known as the Old Schools Quadrangle, was built between 1613 and 1619, adding three wings to the existing library structures.

Designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor, the Clarendon Building was constructed between 1711 and 1715. It originally housed the printing presses of the Oxford University Press before being handed over to the library in 1975.

In 1829, the library purchased the extensive collection of Rabbi David Oppenheim, significantly enhancing its holdings in Hebrew literature.

In 1860, the library was permitted to occupy the adjacent Radcliffe Camera building to provide much-needed space for its expanding collection.

An underground bookstack was constructed beneath the Radcliffe Camera and Radcliffe Square between 1909 and 1912. It has been known as the Gladstone Link since 2011.

Designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, the New Bodleian building was completed in 1940. It featured a ziggurat design with a large portion of its bookstacks located underground.

Following a major rebuilding project behind the original façade of the New Bodleian, the site reopened to readers as the Weston Library on March 21, 2015.