Across the Pond 8: Miss Bertha Better Than You at the Bodlein Library at Oxford

Katherine Philips has a letter in the archives of the Bodlein library of Oxford College. My modern British women’s literature class went to the town of Oxford one week and I realized I would be in very close proximity to an original document of Philips’s. I hadn’t seen her handwriting in person yet, something she had actually touched, just microfiche and photographs. I thought I’d bop in and take a look.

I was met at the library reception desk by a stout, card-carrying member of the library police.

“Hello, I’m doing research on 17th century Welsh poet Katherine Philips. I understand you have one of her letters. Might I see it?”

“No.”

“Ah, I understand. I’d only like to read the letter. I don’t want to touch the letter, or breath near it, or copy it, or take a pencil into the room with me.”

“No.”

“Ah, well, my professor is only just outside the door. Might I be allowed to see it if she vouched for me? She has a doctorate in English literature.”

“No.”

“Ah, well, are there any circumstances under which I might see the letter?”

“No.”

“Ah, I see.”

“If you had a letter from the president of your university, we might, Might! — (I believe she did wag her index finger in the air at this point) — allow your professor to see it.”

“Ah”

“Our undergraduate students don’t have access to the materials here.” She lifted her chin. This was clearly a point of pride.

“Ah, well, I see then. Thank you for your time.”

But she wasn’t done.

“Libraries in the States are different,” she said with just a touch of a sneer in her otherwise immaculately superior expression.

Rather.