Reading the Room: Books in Heritage Spaces

An eighteenth-century library with the shelves around the room filled with historic books. There is a writing desk with papers on top in the centre, and a globe to the left of the desk.

The Library at Erddig, Wrexham © National Trust Images / John H

TALK

Reading the Room

Books in Heritage Spaces

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 16 June 2025

 In person at the Weston Library

  Free, booking required

Book now

About the event

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.

Event information


Book tickets

  Monday 16 June 2025

  13.00–14.30

     Free, booking required

 Sir Victor Blank Lecture Theatre, Weston Library

Book now


Contact

  amy.solomons@ell.ox.ac.uk


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