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    Bailey, Annette Lener, Edward O’Brien, Leslie and Stovall, Connie 2013. Robots in Academic Libraries. p. 37.
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  • Print publication year: 2006
  • Online publication date: March 2008

8 - The medieval librarian

from Part One - The medieval library
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Summary
University colleges sometimes chose to imitate the customs of religious orders, but more often their libraries were managed very differently as a circulating stock of core texts on long-term loan to fellows of the college. What is common to all medieval libraries is that their need of management was very small. The role of the librarian generally resembled that of prefect or monitor in a school library more than that of librarian. The most important duty was to be present where the books were kept at times when readers were allowed access, so that books could be both handed out and returned to their places. Ex libris inscriptions are the most widespread evidence of librarians' activity, and in some sense the most basic, marking the ownership of a book as property. The issue of security was an important concern of librarians. In the management of the book collections of university colleges, security was central.

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The Cambridge History of Libraries in Britain and Ireland
  • Online ISBN: 9781139055307
  • Book DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CHOL9780521781947
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