Newly reopened chained library, UK - 15 Apr 2024

Senior Librarian Mike Twomey, in the chained library at Wimborne Minster. No need for library fines.. One of Britain's first public libraries where books are literally chained up has re-opened after important preservation work over the winter. The Wimborne Chained Library in Dorset was founded in 1686 and is the second largest of the country's five surviving chained libraries. There are over 200 books in chains, with the earliest, titled The Finding of the Souls, dating back to 1343. An early benefactor, Roger Gillingham, donated 90 important religious and educational books in 1695. But he insisted they would be chained to the bookcases to prevent theft. The library, which closes from November for six months each year, boasts a historic collection of early books on gardening, medicine, law, etiquette and building. Senior librarian Mike Twomey said the chains have multiple purposes, as they help to preserve the ancient books by stopping them from being damaged by being pulled out by their spines.