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Richard Ovenden

@richove.bsky.social

8.2K followers 1.9K following 390 posts

Bodley's Librarian, @bodleian.ox.ac.uk & Head of Gardens, Libraries & Museums @ox.ac.uk OBE. FSA. FRHistS, FRSE. President, DPC. Fellow, @Ballioloxford.Bsky.social. Member, @AmPhilsociety.Bsky.social Hon. Fellow @britishacademy.bsky.social

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Richard Ovenden @richove.bsky.social · 5h

Fantastic!

Richard Ovenden @richove.bsky.social · 10h

Thanks Mary

Richard Ovenden @richove.bsky.social · 1d

MLGB is back!! Delighted that Medieval Libraries of Great Britain @bodleian.ox.ac.uk is now back online. We are also working had on plans for the next phase of the resource, enhancing & adding data & functionality. HUGE thanks to my colleagues for their hard & clever work mlgb.bodleian.ox.ac.uk

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Richard Ovenden @richove.bsky.social · 2d

Which book? Im intrigued Peigi!

Richard Ovenden @richove.bsky.social · 2d

Well spotted Jeff!

Jeff (Gutenberg Parenthesis) Jarvis @jeffjarvis.bsky.social · 2d

Ian McEwan's What We Can Know is wonderful. The best part for book-history wonks is the Easter-egg appearance of Bodleian librarian @richove.bsky.social. No spoiler.
www.ianmcewan.com/books/whatwe...

Ian McEwan Website: What We Can Know

www.ianmcewan.com

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Richard Ovenden @richove.bsky.social · 3d

Guilty as charged

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Richard Ovenden @richove.bsky.social · 3d

Terrific!

Richard Ovenden @richove.bsky.social · 4d

Huge congratulations to the @bodhumslib.bsky.social team for such a successful opening of the New Humanities Library at the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities this week! Wonderful feedback for readers and such happy staff!

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Richard Ovenden @richove.bsky.social · 5d

More #Burningthebooks as the arbitrary use of power being exercisd againt the Director of the Eisenhower Presidential Library. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

US archivist ousted after refusing to let Trump give Eisenhower’s sword to King Charles – reports

The Trump administration ultimately gave the King a replica sword on the president’s recent state visit

www.theguardian.com

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Richard Ovenden @richove.bsky.social · 6d

Ahead of a formal celebration of the 1850 Public Libraries Act in Manchester next week, I have a piece in @theobserveruk.bsky.social this weekend celebrating that forward-looking legislation (and a call to action). observer.co.uk/news/opinion...

Libraries are palaces for the people. Their ramparts need...

The spirit of public improvement that led to the legislation that created free public libraries 175 years go needs to be rekindled

observer.co.uk

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Richard Ovenden @richove.bsky.social · 6d

Thanks!

Richard Ovenden @richove.bsky.social · 7d

This is going to be amazing!

Nanna B Thylstrup @nannathylstrup.bsky.social · 7d

✨Deeply honoured to deliver this year's Annual Digital Lecture at The National Archives! Drawing on our @erc.europa.eu Data Loss project, I'll explore how preservation creates loss in the digital age and what that means for the politics of archives. Nov 20 6pm at Senate House, London. Do join us!

Jane Winters @jfwinters.bsky.social · 7d

Join us on 20 November for the Annual Digital Lecture, a partnership between The National Archives, UK and the School of Advanced Study. The wonderful @nannathylstrup.bsky.social will be speaking about ‘When saving becomes loss: archival memory in the digital age’. Free to register!

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Richard Ovenden @richove.bsky.social · 7d

This is so great!!

Richard Ovenden @richove.bsky.social · 8d

See my piece on Tom's house in the August issue of World of Interiors (with many stunning photos by Annie Schlechter)

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Richard Ovenden @richove.bsky.social · 9d

This is a very welcome development indeed IF the recurrent costs of funding school librarians is fully budgeted. ‘A pile of books is no more a library than a crowd of soldiers is an army’ to quote Gabriel Naudé who figured this out … 400 years ago… www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Rachel Reeves pledges a library in every primary school in England

Exclusive: Chancellor also set to unveil plans to get young people back into work in party conference speech

www.theguardian.com

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Richard Ovenden @richove.bsky.social · 10d

Really kind of Mary Beard to give me this generous shout-out in her @thetls.bsky.social blog this week … www.the-tls.com/regular-feat...

Don’t mess with a librarian

I have been off to Oxford to celebrate the skills, inspiration, charisma and resilience of librarians. First was the presentation of the Royal Society of

www.the-tls.com

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Richard Ovenden @richove.bsky.social · 11d

Thanks Rachael!

Richard Ovenden @richove.bsky.social · 11d

Youll have to come next time Martha!

Richard Ovenden @richove.bsky.social · 11d

An incredible evening @bodleian.ox.ac.uk: I was deeply honoured to receive the @rsliterature.bsky.social's Benson Medal from Ruth Scurr, then hosted a screening of 'The Librarians', the powerful doc @thelibrariansfilm.bsky.social featuring courageous librarians @librarianjones.com & Julie Miller!

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Richard Ovenden @richove.bsky.social · 13d

Thank you Eduardo!

Eduardo Suárez @eduardosuarez.bsky.social · 13d

"Every time there's an attack on books, librarians respond, they fight back, they risk their own lives and some even lose their lives for the sake of their communities of readers," says @richove.bsky.social as he accepts the Benson Medal at @bodleian.ox.ac.uk

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Richard Ovenden @richove.bsky.social · 21d

Thanks Masud!

Richard Ovenden @richove.bsky.social · 23d

What a fine gesture from the President of @rsliterature.bsky.social to fund an important new Prize from her own prize money. Bravo Bernie! observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

Evaristo’s new prize for older female writers closes book...

The award for women writers over 60 will help redress disparities in grants

observer.co.uk

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Richard Ovenden @richove.bsky.social · 24d

So enjoyed being in conversation with the great Ian McEwan in the Sheldonian last night for the launch of his 19th novel ‘What we can know’ in which @bodleian.ox.ac.uk features prominently! It is a brilliant book (from @jonathancape.bsky.social) and available from @blackwelloxford.bsky.social!

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Richard Ovenden @richove.bsky.social · 27d

Very interesting conference Leif!

Reposted by Richard Ovenden

Bodleian Libraries @bodleian.ox.ac.uk · 27d

Last few tickets remaining for Blackwells' Ian McEwan event with @richove.bsky.social at the beautiful Sheldonian Theatre this Saturday. All ticket purchases include a copy of McEwan's new book, 'What We Can Know'.

visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/event/sep25/...

Ian McEwan in conversation with Richard Ovenden

Award-winning author Ian McEwan discusses his new novel with Richard Ovenden

visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk

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