The height of stupidity

I have a lot of books and some are on high shelves that necessitate a bit of stretching or sometimes a ladder.

It is lucky I don't have to comply with elf'n'safety laws. Students at the Bodleian Library at Oxford University are now unable to read certain books in the Duke Humfrey reading room.

A fortnight ago, the university's elf'n'safety officer decreed that using a ladder was unsafe and it would be wrong to remove them from their "original historic location".

So students now have to travel to London to read books that they can see in Oxford.

Laurence Benson, the library's director of administration and finance, defended the move.
He said: 'The balcony has a low rail and we have been instructed by the health and safety office that this increases the risk to those in the balcony. As part of the process the restriction on the use of ladders on the balcony have been introduced.

'The library would prefer to keep the books in their original historic location - where they have been safely consulted for 400 years prior to the instructions from the Health and Safety office.'

So if they have been safely consulted for 400 years, why is there danger now?