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(1/3) The Hereford Cathedral Library in Hereford, England is the largest surviving chained library with its chains, rods and locks intact. In earlier periods, books were often chained to the shelves to safeguard them from potential thieves. 
(2/3) The chains were fitted to the cover of the books via ringlets, and were long enough to allow the books to be taken from their shelves and read, but not removed from the library itself. Only the librarian could remove the books from the chain using a key.
(3/3) The books were typically shelved with their foredges facing the reader, rather than their spines. This may seem like the wrong way, but it allowed the books to be lifted down and opened without needing to be turned around, thus avoiding tangling the chain.
BONUS TWEET: If anyone is interested, here's a great article about this library and the history behind chained books: amusingplanet.com/2015/04/the-la…
