The extensive demolition of a large part of the new Bodleian Library was revealed earlier this week as scaffolding came down from the Broad Street building site. 

The building has been undergoing reconstruction over the past two years. This new development gives an indication of the change that is taking place in the architecture of central Oxford.

The New Bodleian, constructed in the 1930’s to house a vast and varied collection of literature and manuscripts, was designed to be a fortress and was further reinforced during the bombardment of the Second World War.

While the original building adhered to the traditional Oxford quad design, the new build, dubbed the Weston Project, hopes to open up this central space and make it more publicly accessible. The glass fronted building will face out onto Broad Street and the Old Bodleian library. The project is on schedule, working towards an opening for students in Autumn 2014 with an official opening in Spring 2015. It has cost more than £80 million, coming from a wide variety of sources.

Whilst the architect acknowledged that “the existing building is in one of the most historically sensitive parts of the city” it appeared that there was need for development. New reading rooms, research facilities and exhibition space will be added. With regards to the destruction of the building, Suzanne de la Rosa, a spokesperson for the Bodleian Libraries, said,  “in order for us to have the calibre of building and the sort of spaces that were needed for users, staff and collections the interior of the building did need to be revamped. We feel the end result will be a good mix of the old and the new.”

She added that refurbishment of the New Bodleian building is part of a larger scheme to revitalize Oxford’s historic Broad Street by creating a new public square.

De la Rosa added, “The building did not meet current British standards in terms of fire protection and conservation and that needed to be addressed. But that is not the sole reason for the redevelopment. This was the impetus to get us thinking about the kind of libraries that our users and Oxford needed and that was appropriate for our collections.” 

The new Library will eventually store a large proportion of the treasures of the Bodleian, including both Shakespeare’s first folio and the remaining original Magna Cartas, alongside thousands of other precious literary artefacts. 

The development is not received enthusiastically by all students. Abdul-Rahman Jama, a third year student at Balliol College, stated, “I could not possibly care less what is happ

Students have expressed their irritation as University officials may prevent them leaving for the Varsity ski trip before the end of term. In an email to Senior Tutors, the Proctors reminded colleges of the regulations concerning leaving University before the end of full term.

According to University rules, “No student member shall participate in any sports tours, competitions, or training activities which involve overseas travel during Full Term, or the Thursday and Friday immediately preceding Full Term without the prior permission of: the Senior Tutor of that member’s college, society, Permanent Private Hall, or other designated institution; and the Proctors.”

In an email sent to Teddy Hall students, the Senior Tutor noted, “This large and heavily promoted trip has caused problems in previous years, not only in St Edmund Hall but also in the University at large. I am writing to let you know in good time that nobody from St Edmund Hall is permitted to go on this trip without the explicit permission of both their subject tutors and the Senior Tutor.”

When contacted about the issue, The Teddy Hall Senior Tutor, Professor Stuart Ferguson, explained that the problems lay in clashes with academic matters at the end of term. He commented, “This has caused problems in the past for obvious reasons – tutorials and practicals take place on Thursday afternoon and all day Friday. Some tutors are understandably not willing to move these to Hilary term etc. and often practicals cannot be missed.”

Although organisers of the trip have stressed that no coaches will depart before 6pm, Professor Ferguson still felt that this would not eradicate all problems, commenting, “Even though the departure time is now 6pm this is not necessarily OK. 6pm departure time means getting ready from around 5pm. There are tutorials/practicals and even Principal’s collections on the Friday afternoon and so we need to know that anyone leaving at 6 pm is not in fact needed for such activities – or to know in good time that they can be rearranged. That’s all there is to it.”

Although this appears to be a new introduction, a spokesperson for Oxford commented, “There is no new regulation regarding students who go on the Varsity Ski Trip. The Rules Committee Regulations (published in the Proctors’ and Assessor’s Memorandum) has a long-standing regulation requiring students who wish to take part in any overseas sports activities to obtain permission if travelling during full term or on the Thursday and Friday immediately preceding

Full Term. This year, as in previous years, students have simply been reminded of the regulations regarding travelling before the end of term.”

Students have reacted angrily to the news, believing it to be indicative of the University’s confused attitude towards students’ ability to manage their time alone. One student commented, “I thought we’re meant to be treated like responsible adults? Seriously, one night’s not exactly going to make much difference.”

Others took a similar view, with one second year worried by his personal tutor’s lack of response, believing that “the considerable angst caused to me and my friends by this long, three-week wait for permission has almost certainly had more of an adverse effect on my education than one night’s absence. £600 is a lot of money, after all.” Another second year took a simpler approach, commenting “It’s soooo annoying!”

Though most students faced little difficulty in obtaining permission, one student’s tutor expressed “disappointment that you have booked yourself on a trip which requires you to leave college before the end of term.”

A new careers advisory company has arrived in Oxford and is set to compete with the University’s own careers service.

In the past week, ‘Career Matters’ has begun to attempt to build a customer base within the University, becoming a potential rival for Oxford University’s Careers Service.

‘Career Matters’ is a private company which, for a variety of set fees, offers a number of services to students to help them with their career choice. Their initial offer has been to give two students from a college a free careers consultation before introducing their lowest priced package, £197 plus VAT, to the rest of the student body. Offering three kinds of services from a basic test and feedback session to assess your strengths and weaknesses, through to CV and interview advice, the service’s prices range from £197 to £397 plus VAT.

These prices are in stark contrast to the University’s careers service which provides a range of facilities and assistance free of charge. Director Jonathan Black told Cherwell, “We are aware of this organisation and the offer they have tried to make to students. We recognise that there are many such firms offering these paid-for services and have no intention of restraining their trade; however, we are unclear why any student would spend significant funds on a commercial service that they can access for free as part of the services they are entitled to at Oxford.” 

With services such as unlimited 1:1 guidance meetings with experienced careers advisers, training events in CV writing and interviews and a whole number of events and career fairs, some people have questioned the need for outside competition.

Helen Robb, a 3rd year PPEist, argued, “Our careers service is an invaluable resource for everyone who is studying at Oxford. I can’t see why anyone would go anywhere else.”

OUSU president David Townsend echoed this sentiment, commenting, “Students should be wary of expensive private providers, especially where there’s a much more comprehensive, free service provided by the University.

‘The University careers service is regularly utilised by the student body and its results paint a seemingly successful picture. One JCR Careers representative said, “Oxford already has a truly fantastic careers service. It’s a service that has proved invaluable to the 90% of Oxford grads who get into employment or further study within six months of completing their degree. With the legacy of recession, that’s a good statistic.’

The service is not without its flaws however, as the Careers representative added, “The problem that needs to be addressed isn’t the volume of Careers advice, but the accessibility between colleges and their utilization of the wider University service.”