The Bodleian is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, dating from 1602, and it is the second-largest library in Britain after the British Library in London. This is the third chair specifically designed for the Bodleian Libraries. The first chair used in the reading rooms, dating from 1756, was a Windsor chair and in 1936 Sir Gilbert Scott designed two versions of a chair upholstered in leather for the Weston Library. Therefore the Bodleian Libraries chair by Barber Osgerby is designed to fit with its historic surroundings and the older furniture already existing in the space. The choice of fairly traditional materials, such as leather and oak, reflects this. Apart from designing a comfotable chair that could withstand long and constant use, Barber Osgerby also identified the rear view of the chair as of special significance in this project, as this is the part most visible to the library visitors. "Seen in a row from behind, as they will be installed in the library, they appear to form a line of little rooms around the readers, defining a series of individual territories from the floor to the desk," wrote Oliver Wainwright in the Guardian (13 September 2013).