LMH Summer Lectures: Richard Ovenden on 'Burning the books, then and now'

This edition of the LMH Summer Lectures will feature guest speaker Richard Ovenden. Richard is Head of Gardens, Libraries, & Museums (GLAM) at the University of Oxford, a post he holds together with being Bodley’s Librarian and the Helen Hamlyn Director of the University Libraries (the senior executive officer of the Bodleian Libraries).

'Burning the books, then and now'

Libraries have been attacked since ancient times but they have been especially threatened in the modern era, through war as well as willful neglect. This talk examines the deliberate destruction of the knowledge safeguarded in libraries and reflects on the political, religious, and cultural motivations behind these acts. It also shines a light on the librarians and archivists preserving history and memory, often risking their lives in the process.

The LMH Summer Programmes team is delighted to offer an exciting series of lectures from field-leading scholars to our visiting students this summer.

In each instance, these will take place on Monday evenings from 17:15 – 18:30 in the Simpkins Lee Theatre, with a drinks reception to follow in the gardens.

All members of LMH – students, fellows, and staff – are warmly invited to join us.

If you have any questions about the lectures, please contact: emily.guerry@lmh.ox.ac.uk.