Monthly Archives: September 2024

New! Computer System Installed for Digital Microfilm Reader

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The digital microfilm reader at the Vere Harmsworth now has a new computer system in place and is once again available for the use of readers.

The new computer system provides improved usability and is connected to the internet, so you will now be able to save microform images to the cloud or send them via email.

To assist you in using the new set-up we have created guides on how to set up the digital microfilm reader and how to use the software. Library staff will also be happy to help if you have any questions or would like additional guidance.

To use the microfilm reader with the new computer, a Bodleian log-in is required, as with our regular PCs. Please see the Bodleian website or speak to a member of library staff if you do not know your username or password.

Thank you for your patience while the new computer was installed. We hope you will enjoy using the new microfilm reader software.The new computer, displaying a log-in screen, next to the digital microfilm reader.

 To find out more about using the Vere Harmsworth Library collections please contact the Vere Harmsworth Library (vhl@bodleian.ox.ac.uk).

New titles in the Alain Locke Collection! Summer 2024 intake

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The new selection of titles for the Alain Locke Collection are now available and on display in the Vere Harmsworth Library!

Four shelves of books under a sign saying Alain Locke Collection.

Readers will be able to see the new selections on the Ground Floor of the Library. This area, as part of our agreement with the Association of American Rhodes Scholars (AARS), will be dedicated to displaying and promoting the Collection.

With the kind agreement of the AARS, two collection intakes will be taken each year, totalling $10,000 worth of books per year.

Decorative book covers.

A selection of book covers from our August 2024 intake.

You can see above a selection of some of the titles that have been selected. You can view the full list here and you can view all selected Alain Locke Collection titles here.

About the collection

In spring 2021, the VHL and RAI agreed to create the Alain Locke Collection with support from the AARS. Named after the first African American Rhodes Scholar, the collection aims to focus on research monographs in the areas of African American history, politics, biography and culture, alongside notable gaps in material not produced by commercial publishers.

The Bodleian is committed to providing students and researchers with world class access to resources to enable them to fulfil their scholarly ambitions. We are therefore hugely grateful to the AARS for pledging a gift of $25,000 over five years supporting the Alain Locke Collection. This supports our intention for the VHL to become a leading centre for the study of African American history, politics, and culture.

The establishment of the Alain Locke Collection will allow the VHL to expand the purchase of African American focused research monographs, without affecting expenditure on other research areas. It will build on the VHL’s current holdings and run alongside the continued intake of research monographs via the legal deposit agreements and e-book packages. It will allow the VHL to identify and address potential gaps in some of the older materials. Most significantly, it will demonstrate our commitment to representing African American history and culture within our collections.

Current students and researchers can recommend titles to be purchased for the Alain Locke Collection by contacting the Vere Harmsworth Librarian (bethan.davies@bodleian.ox.ac.uk).

If you have any further questions about the Alain Locke Collection, or the display, please contact Bethan Davies. To find out more about supporting the Vere Harmsworth Library and the Alain Locke collection please contact the Vere Harmsworth Library (vhl@bodleian.ox.ac.uk).