The libri distribuendi, or books for lending, were the
special feature of the college library. At Merton the
books were distributed by the warden and sub-warden
under an adequate pledge (1276). Once a year, after
the books had been inspected, each Fellow of Oriel could
select a book on the subject he was reading up, and could
keep it, if he chose, until the next distribution a year
later, while if there were more books than Fellows, those
over could be selected in the same way (statutes, 1329). At
Peterhouse, the Senior Dean distributed the books to scholars
in the manner he saw fit; later it was ruled that all the
books not chained might be circulated once every two years
on a day to be fixed by the Master and Senior Dean
(statutes, 1344, 1480). At New College students in civil
and canon law could have two books for their special use
during the time they devoted themselves to those faculties,
if they did not own the books themselves. If books
remained over, after this distribution, they were to be
distributed annually in the usual way (statutes, 1400).
Similarly the books were circulated at All Souls (statutes,
1443), at Magdalen (1459), at Exeter[1] and at Queen's.
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