I could never have imagined the impact that these four months would have on my life. It was a real pleasure to be able to join this team and to know more about Oxford libraries' network and their working method.
Working in a College in Oxford seems to be different than working in the Bodleian libraries as it could allow more variety. Apart from the traditional tasks such as the loan office, books processing, shelving, cataloguing,... it is possible to carry out with different tasks such as welcoming, organising exhibitions, or even fun activities, meetings between librarians and students through coffees and mince pies. Librarianship is not ready to stop in my opinion. There are so many things to keep, create, think... The library world is very well managed. There is good cohesion between the colleges and the Bodleians. There are lots of things to create, improve while preserving the well-established traditions, the renown. Digitalization is one of the central issues for them today, as well as the well-being of students, readers and colleagues. It is important for them to preserve their heritage while evolving.
This experience was very rewarding for me professionally but also personally. Living abroad for 4 months is something! The only slightly less positive point for me was the climate. It rains very often! However, the atmosphere and the people make us forget that. During my weekends, I could explore Oxford, its pubs and unusual places and I also had the chance to travel around (Bristol, Bath, London...).
The Magdalen College Library is the place to be, because of the staff, the richness of their collections (rare books and manuscripts from the Old Library or even the whole variety of books from the Longwall Library).
Oxford is an expensive city but there are always ways to enjoy it and to never get bored. It is a fairly small but very rich city culturally, architecturally and gastronomically. I can only recommend doing this internship. Colleges dominate the city with their imposing tower, their sculptures,... it is worth visiting all of them! Magdalen College is of course the best one :-)
It's time for me now to wish you all a nice Christmas holidays. Thank you for reading me. I hope you enjoyed it and that I gave you the interest to visit that place or to also do an internship. Do not hesitate to contact me if needed.
See you!