Often idealized illustrations of the law library can be found in many early modern law textbooks. In this 18th-century German work, the librarian can be seen writing at his desk, quill pen in hand and ink pot, pounce, and what appears to be a library inventory at the ready. His two attendants, in frock coats and powdered pigtails, work industriously.
Sample text for the blog post. For the first few days in the library, Maddy stayed in her nook on the windowsill, bringing books back and sitting there in the back corner where she could be alone. She knew the librarians knew that she was there. They greeted her each afternoon, by name after the first day. By the third day, she felt at home enough to bring books up to check out, chit-chatting a bit about being a new student and settling into things.
Illustrations to law textbooks sometimes also offer a glimpse of the material culture of law, as found in early modern law offices. In this mid-seventeenth-century Dutch work, a lawyer can be seen at his desk, surrounded by shelved books and an archive of document bags hanging from hooks on the ceiling.
