 Boeck acquired his first book at the age of nine.He received his "examen artium" in 1854 from Heltberg High School and his candidate of law degree in 1860 from Royal Frederick University.At that time, he had collected 2,000 books and had worked for a few years as a stipendiary magistrate in Namdalen before returning to his native Kristiania and a new job as a copying clerk at the Ministry of Church and Education in 1863.