abstract:A chained library is a library where the books are attached to their bookcase by a chain, which is sufficiently long to allow the books to be taken from their shelves and read, but not removed from the library itself. This practice was usual for reference libraries (that is, the vast majority of libraries) from the Middle Ages to approximately the 18th century, as books were extremely valuable during this period.
Mark Purcell, the National Trust's libraries curator, said the book, which bears the signs of having been chained when it was in the abbey library, was a very rare survivor of its time.