After 400 years, health and safety bans stepladders from historic Oxford library... but nobody can reach the booksby: Lizzie Smith
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.
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 balcony has a low rail and we have been instructed by the health and safety office that this increases the risk.
'As part of the process the restriction on the use of ladders on the balcony have been introduced.
'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.'
From: The Daily Mail
Is it just me, or does the "where they have been safely consulted for 400 years prior to the instructions from the Health and Safety office" sound a bit snarky? I have to agree though - 400 years of precedent erased by an overzealous H&S just seems... irritating.
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You're totally right that the comment is snarky. The whole thing seems a bit ridiculous to me, though I'm interested to see how the whole thing plays out.
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