Tag Archives: services

Library Service Updates, 15th February

Posted on by
Reply

As of Monday 15th February, the Radcliffe Camera and Gladstone Link have reopened to readers with pre-booked study spaces. You can book a slot via the Bodleian Spacefinder tool, where you can also see available slots in other open libraries: https://spacefinder.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/ 

New bookings are released on the system three days in advance, each day at 10am, so if you don’t see a suitable desk please do check back on another day. Desk spaces are limited due to social distancing measures, so please only book if your visit is essential, and use alternative services if you can. Here are some of the other ways you can access library resources!

Click & Collect
Need to borrow HFL books? We’re currently not able to offer Browse & Borrow slots in the Rad Cam, but you can place advance requests for pickup using the Click & Collect service. Just look out for the green Request button which will appear next to eligible HFL items if you’re logged in to SOLO. Once you’ve placed your request, it will be picked and processed by library staff on the next working day, and you will then receive an email inviting you to book a collection slot to pick up your request. As the C&C process takes a few working days to complete, please do bear this in mind when requesting and order your books in good time. Unfortunately, staff will be unable to fetch additional items when you arrive at the library.

LibraryScan and OffsiteScan
Need to read a chapter or article from a printed book or journal? You can request a scan on SOLO using the Bodleian’s Scan & Deliver services, currently being offered free of charge.
If the item is held offsite in the Bodleian Closed Stacks, use the blue Offsite Scan button next to the individual closed stack item to place a request. Offsite Scan is available to all Bodleian card holders.
If the item is only held in a library reading room, use the red LibraryScan button. This service is available to University members.
The scanning team will aim to send the scan to your email within 5 working days. Due to copyright restrictions, the team can supply up to 5% of the page range of a book, or one full chapter, whichever is greater. You can find more details about this service here: https://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/using/scan-and-deliver

Remote access resources
Using the filter options on the left hand side of your SOLO search, you can select ‘Online Resources’ to show electronic resources accessible offsite. If an item has a green Online access icon, it can be accessed remotely if you’re an Oxford University member. If you’re a Bodleian Reader card holder, selecting ‘Open Access’ will show resources available to all regardless of university membership.
Check out this Libguide for some tips on how to find online resources for History, and the Bodleian’s page here for general guidance on ebooks, ejournals and databases.

There are also a number of digitised resources currently available as part of the HathiTrust Emergency Access Service. These books will have an orange HathiTrust button on their SOLO record. To access the full text, once you’ve clicked through to the HathiTrust page, click the Log In button on the top right hand corner, select University of Oxford institutional access, and log in with your Single Sign On. Next, click the ‘Temporary Access’ link on the book’s record. Finally, click the ‘Check Out’ button on the orange bar to loan the digital copy of the book.

If you’d like to recommend the purchase of an ebook or online resource which isn’t currently available, you can place a request via this form, and a subject librarian will look into its availability.

As always, if you’re having any trouble locating resources, or have any questions about library services, do get in touch by sending us an email: library.history@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

 

 

Click and Collect at the HFL

Posted on by
Reply

In order to facilitate access to History Faculty Library loans during this period, we’d like to announce that eligible HFL items are now once again available to borrow through the Bodleian’s Click & Collect service. This will replace our Browse and Borrow service while the Radcliffe Camera is closed. For full details of the other libraries participating in this service, see: https://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/using/clickandcollect

If you didn’t get the chance to use this service over the summer, or would like a reminder of the procedure, here’s our step-by-step guide:

1. Request your book(s). Once logged into SOLO, look out for the green ‘Request’ button next to eligible HFL books. Your request will be sent to the library for staff to pick and process.

2. Once your book has been processed (usually the next working day after your request), you will receive an email inviting you to book a collection timeslot from the following working day onwards; slots will be between 11am-3pm Monday-Friday. You will only need to book a slot for one requested item, and other books you order will then also be available to collect in this timeslot. At this stage you can also add a named person to collect books on your behalf (please ask them to bring some photo ID!).
N.B. As mentioned above, it takes a few working days for the Click & Collect process to complete, so please order your books ahead of time. Please also note that only pre-booked items will be available and you won’t be able to request additional items at the desk when you arrive.

3. On arrival, hold your Reader Card to the pad to unlock the door. If you have any problems with your card, use the intercom to talk to a member of staff. If you notice that there is another reader already inside, please wait on the path at a distance of at least 2 metres from any other readers.

4. Show the member of staff at Reception your card. There is a protective screen at the desk, and a hand sanitiser dispenser available, for the safety of staff and readers. Please wear a face covering when visiting to pick up your books, unless you are exempt.

5. The staff member will fetch your pre-issued books and may ask you to stand back while they place them onto the shelf beside the desk. If you need to drop off HFL returns when you collect, there is a box next to the staff desk to put them in. Returns are quarantined overnight and will be removed from your account on the next working day.

6. Enjoy your books! If you have any questions about the Click & Collect process, please get in touch by email at library.history@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

 

Library Service Updates, 8th January

Posted on by
Reply

Here is our latest update on library services:

  1. The Old Library, Sackler Library, VHL, and SSL will be closed on forthcoming weekends: 9/10 January and 16/17 January. All other sites are closed to readers already.
  2. Next week’s opening hours for sites open to readers (see above) will change to 10am to 4pm.
  3. The Radcliffe Camera and Gladstone Link will remain closed until further notice. We will offer a staff-mediated book fetching service from those collections to the Old Library where there are no alternative collections available. Contact book.fetch@bodleian.ox.ac.uk for further details. You will need to have a reading room seat booked in the Old Bodleian. LibraryScan for Radcliffe Camera and Gladstone Link collections is currently operational via SOLO.
  4. Space Finder for booking reading room slots is currently still frozen in order to insert SSO authentication. Colleagues are working on hard on this. We will inform you as soon as we hear bookings can resume. Thank you for your patience.
  5. From Monday, LibraryScan in the Old Library will resume. We also hope to relaunch closed stack deliveries then.
  6. Special Collections staff-mediated scanning continues to be available. See https://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/weston/using/ordering/photocopying/special-collections-mediated-copying for details.
  7. If tutors have any changes to reading lists or require scans for them, please contact hfl-readinglist@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.
  8. Reminder that you can access HathiTrust Emergency Temporary Access Service collections via SOLO once you have signed in with SSO. Look out for the orange HathiTrust button on SOLO records.
  9. For individual ebook recommendations, go to
    https://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/finding-resources/recommendations (requires SSO).

The situation remains fluid and all services are subject to staff availability. Please only come to the Library if it is really essential. Library staff on Live Chat, library.history@bodleian.ox.ac.uk and reader.services@bodleian.ox.ac.uk are always happy to help, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any queries.

Study tips for the Long Vac

Posted on by
Reply

As students leave for their summer break, we thought it might be useful to give some tips on continuing your studies and research while away from Oxford.

From http://www.wildemedia.co.uk/blog/

1. Remote access: Using your SSO (Single Sign On) login, you can access all our ebook, ejournal and database subscriptions while away from Oxford.

Scans for courses (eSet Texts) are of course also still available on the HFL WebLearn site.

2. Using a university library near your home: Under the SCONUL Vacation Access scheme, you can use the university library near your home during that university’s vacation time. You won’t be able to borrow (just as students from other universities can’t borrow from Oxford), but you can use their printed collections. Access to databases will probably not be possible but it’s worth asking. You will need to prove you are a student at Oxford so make sure you have your University Card with you and possibly a letter from your tutor as a reference. The latter is always needed if you need to access archives. We strongly recommend that you check the library’s opening hours, admission rules, etc. in advance. Libraries often schedule building work in summer so save yourself a wasted trip by checking first!

3. Finding collections in other UK university and research libraries: search COPAC to locate collections in other UK libraries. It also includes the British Library. This is a really useful search tool. Depending on your subject, you may find specialist libraries (e.g. SOAS for Oriental, Asian and African history) particularly useful.

british-library-313197_1280

4. Entering the Ivory Tower: though often applied to Cambridge University Library, the British Library is infinitely more forbidding. However, staff are friendly and welcoming so I encourage students to consider using their fantastic collections. As well as being even bigger than the Bodleian, the BL has many excellent History databases which are not available in Oxford. Check out our blog post about using the BL, how to get a reader’s card and so on. The recommendation is to register early in the morning or take a(nother) book as queues can be long.

5. Remote support: We have quite a lot of online guides: guides for sources, help using reference management software, and much more.

The HFL and RadCam will of course remain open throughout summer, excepting August Bank Holiday. Just get in touch if you need help.If you need specialist help on British & Western European history, please feel free to email the History Librarian, Isabel Holowaty. There are subject librarians for other areas also.

Have a really great summer and see you all back in October!