I will begin with the layout. It is important to have a great deal of natural light for the writing and illumination of manuscripts; therefore your scriptorium shall have large windows or openings through which light may pass. It is advisable for each desk to be well lighted. I have found it wise also to place the scriptorium close to the kitchen or the calefactory, as the warmth aids in keeping both ink and monks fit for writing (Wikipedia, 2008).
You will of course require storage for the books; I am sending two large chests with copies of the Gospels, Missals, Breviaries, and the like, and if you copy the design of these chests you will find them most satisfactory (De Hamel, 1994). Of course some works will be kept where they are of most use, in cupboards or on lecterns, but it will fall to you to store the others safely and in such a manner that they can be quickly found when required. As the saying goes, “claustrum sine armario est quasi castrum sine armamentario (a cloister without a book-room is like a military camp without weapons)” (Bologna, 1988, p.37).
