Reading the Room: Books in Heritage Spaces

Old books in a library
Public lectures / seminars

Monday 16 June 2025

01:00 PM - 02:30 PM

Location

Sir Victor Blank Lecture Theatre, Weston Library/ Online

Cost

Free

Book your place

Event details

Heritage libraries are a unique historical resource: in contrast to research libraries across the world, their library collections are preserved in the places where they were assembled and read. In those locations they reflect a rich history of social exchange.

This panel talk explores what it means to engage with books in a heritage setting and how we might better enable contemporary engagement with our histories of books and reading.

Reading the Room is a collaborative research project between the University of Oxford, Coventry University and the National Trust.

Speakers

Abigail Williams is Professor of Eighteenth-Century Literature at the University of Oxford.

Alice Leonard is Research Fellow at Coventry University.

Amy Solomons is a Postdoctoral Research Assistant at the University of Oxford.

Tim Pye is National Curator for Libraries at the National Trust.