Helen Hamlyn Trust to permanently endow the most senior position at the Bodleian Libraries

The University of Oxford and the Bodleian Libraries are delighted to announce the endowment of the post of Bodley’s Librarian and Director of University Libraries, thanks to the generous philanthropic support of the Helen Hamlyn Trust.

The trust has been a strong supporter of the Bodleian Libraries over many years, and this £4 million gift towards the post has also resulted in the release of £2 million in matched funding from the University. The endowment means that Bodley’s Librarian, the most senior position at the Bodleian Libraries, will from now on be known as Bodley’s Librarian and the Helen Hamlyn Director of the University Libraries. The funding will ensure the permanence of the role, and support the sustainability of the Bodleian into the future.

Richard Ovenden has held the role of Bodley’s Librarian since 2014. The libraries’ endowment – essential for the sustainability of the organisation – has tripled during Ovenden’s time at the head of the Bodleian.

Under his leadership, the libraries have made transformational improvements to their buildings, especially the renovation of the Weston Library which was completed in 2015 – celebrating its tenth anniversary this year – the KB Chen China Centre Library, and the refurbished Radcliffe Science Library. Major acquisitions under his leadership include the only surviving copy of a ‘lost’ poem by the poet Shelley, the papers of John le Carré, the archive of the NGO Oxfam, the Kohn Bach Manuscript, and the personal archive of William Henry Fox Talbot, which has heralded a period of major collecting in the field of photography.

As part of his commitment to making collections widely accessible, and exploring new ways to engage with and amplify stories from lesser-heard communities, Ovenden has established a public engagement team and programme, supported by the Helen Hamlyn Trust, including partnerships with the Morgan Library in New York, the Bibliotheque Nationale de France, and the Museum of Colour and Fusion Arts Oxford. He has also championed a plethora of digital innovations that have both transformed researcher opportunities and enhanced access. These have included collaborations on digitisation with the Vatican Library, the New York Public Library and the Herzog August Bibliothek in Wolfenbüttel; collaborations on digital preservation with Cambridge University Library; and with Factum Foundation in Madrid he has developed the ARCHiOx project, also initiated, nurtured and funded by the Helen Hamlyn Trust. The ARCHiOx partnership is pushing the boundaries of the analysis of manuscripts and other objects, opening up new insights into Bodleian treasures and developing cutting-edge technology.

Lady Hamlyn herself has played a key role in advising several holders of the post of Bodley’s Librarian, continuing the work of her late husband Lord Hamlyn CBE, who became involved in supporting the library in the 1980s. Previous gifts from the trust include a gift of £2 million to create the Treasury in the Weston Library, which was designed by Lady Hamlyn and her architect Robin Partington, and further gifts have facilitated the development of a comprehensive public engagement programme.

The permanent endowment of this post offers more opportunities to collaborate on the shared goal of safeguarding the future of libraries, promoting access to cultural heritage across the University community and the wider public, and enhancing global scholarship.

Ovenden said:

It is an astonishing privilege to be the first holder of the post of Bodley’s Librarian and the Helen Hamlyn Director of the University Libraries.   Lady Hamlyn CBE is someone whose commitment to arts, culture, science and learning has been of profound importance in the UK, Europe, South Asia and beyond. As a philanthropist she is thoughtful, creative and constructive for the institutions she is committed to.  Above all she is profoundly loyal to those institutions, to the individuals within them, and to the students, scholars and members of the public who depend on them. Working with Lady Hamlyn has been a highlight of my tenure at the Bodleian, and with her support we are able to continue to acquire outstanding cultural and scientific collections, preserve them for future generations, and share them with the widest possible public - her gift to the Bodleian is therefore a gift to us all.

Lady Hamlyn said: 

My trust and I are honoured to be able to provide this endowment to support the post of Bodley’s Librarian and the Helen Hamlyn Director of the University Libraries. This gift marks a further chapter in the long and productive relationship I have shared with the Bodleian Library to further the excellent charitable and academic work that the library undertakes.