“For him that stealeth a Book from this Library, let it change into a serpent in his hand and rend him. Let him be struck with Palsy, and all his Members blasted. Let him languish in Pain crying aloud for Mercy and let there be no surcease to his Agony till he sink in Dissolution. Let Bookworms gnaw his Entrails in token of the Worm that dieth not, and when at last he goeth to his final Punishment, let the flames of Hell consume him for ever and aye”
- a Latin inscription at the library of the Monastery of San Pedro in Barcelona warns.
Fortunately, the rules for using the Jagiellonian Library’s collections are not quite that gruesome, but it’s still worth getting acquainted with them.
Today, our first-year undergraduate students explored the Library, including its frequently-used halls and less-well-known nooks, treading the paths to reading rooms where they will (hopefully) spend many fruitful hours. After all, it is only two steps from our Institute!
