The Bodleian Libraries is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of David Vaisey CBE, Bodley’s Librarian from 1986 to 1996.
Mr Vaisey was a highly dedicated librarian, who transformed the Bodleian Libraries’ during critical years in its history. He was an indefatigable champion of libraries, who brought the Bodleian’s fundraising efforts into a more professional and focussed sphere, making the library a key part of the University’s first major public campaign. (He even ran the London Marathon to help raise funds for the library.) Just as significantly, he placed a major focus on digital developments, including conversion of the Bodleian’s catalogues of printed books and the first steps in digitisation.
David Vaisey was an undergraduate at Oxford, having read history at Exeter College. He later became a Fellow of the college. He first joined the Bodleian in 1960 as an archivist, and progressed to Assistant Librarian and Senior Assistant Librarian, while also maintaining his position of Deputy Keeper of the Oxford University Archives between 1966 and 1975. He became Keeper of Western Manuscripts in 1975, and held the post of Keeper of the Archives from 1995–2000. David was an active scholar, and served the library and archives profession through serving on the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts and president of the Society of Archivists (1999–2002), and he held a visiting professorship in Library Studies at the University of California. In 1996, he was appointed a CBE and became Bodley’s Librarian Emeritus.
Furthering his unwavering commitment to advancing the place of libraries in society, in 2017 the David Vaisey Trust was established in his honour, offering a prize for outstanding library initiatives, as a way to encourage literacy in his home of Gloucestershire.
Richard Ovenden, Bodley’s Librarian and the Helen Hamlyn Director of University Libraries writes:
David Vaisey was one of the greatest of all librarians, serving as the 22nd since Thomas James was appointed in 1600. His time as Bodley’s Librarian was pivotal for ensuring the library could continue to play a key role globally in preserving knowledge and making it available to students and researchers using new technologies as well as old. We were fortunate to have him as our librarian for ten crucial years.
On behalf of the Bodleian Libraries, we send our sincerest condolences to his family and friends at this time.
David Vaisey (1935–2025)
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