At Hereford Cathedral, the books in the chained library remain connected to their shelving. One end of each chain is attached to the cover, the other joins a bar. The reader could take out the volume and consult it on the desk, but not take it away.
The storage itself seems inverted: the slices of the pages face the reader, rather than the backs of the books. This avoids having to turn the volume over before opening it and limits the entanglement of the chains. A detail that seems awkward therefore reveals a practical solution.
The presentation preserves the historical organization of this 17th century library, with its bars, locks and chains. The books are not attached because they contain forbidden secrets. This device protected their material value while allowing them to read: the book could leave its place, but not its library.
What we know
Material protection of books; not a chaining for prohibited content.
To go to the source
References consulted on 3 October 2026. Linked pages may be in another language.
Signaler une erreur ou apporter une précision
