The Bodleian Library - Protecting our Heritage

The Bodleian Library is the main research library of the University of Oxford. It is also a copyright deposit library and its collections are used by scholars from around the world.
So their choice of partner to scan the architectural drawings of their own building was not taking lightly.

The buildings within the central site include Duke Humfrey's Library above the Divinity School, the Old Schools Quadrangle with its Great Gate and Tower, the Radcliffe Camera, Britain’s first circular library, and the Clarendon Building.

"Using scanned images is a safe and clean way
of protecting
plans and drawings of buildings
old and new"

As part of a major refurbishment plan it was essential that architects had access to plans of the existing structures. Providing scanned images is a safe and clean way of protecting the drawings and fortunately Preview are experts in the process of digitising historic material. In the past the Preview team has scanned material that is several hundred years old thus preserving the content in perpetuity.

In this case Jenny Chilcot and John Duffy were impressed with Preview’s response and expertise and of the understanding that their appointed Account Manager had of the project. They have been delighted with the results and intend to consider more scanning of historic material in the future.