Tag Archives: Announcement

ANNOUNCEMENT: RAI roof works: Planned half day closure Wednesday 22nd February

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[UPDATE: The planned works for this morning were completed on schedule, and the library re-opened at 1pm. We would like to thank our readers for their patience. 22/02/2023] 

The Vere Harmsworth Library will be CLOSED for the morning of Wednesday 22nd February 2023, and will re-open at 1pm the same day. 

As part of the completion of recent essential RAI roof works, the scaffolding currently in place around the RAI building entrance and main ramp needs to be removed. Estates have informed the Vere Harmsworth Librarian that the closure is required to ensure the safe removal of scaffolding material, and will block the main entrance into the RAI building.

Once removed, the entrance to the RAI building will be accessible via the ramp or the steps, as it had been prior to the scaffolding installation.

After careful consideration of the above information, and discussions with the Rothermere American Institute regarding alternative entrances, the Vere Harmsworth Librarian has agreed to close the library on the morning of Wednesday 22nd February 2023 to ensure that essential work can be completed as swiftly and safely as possible.

The library will re-open from 1pm, for our normal advertised term hours (1pm-10pm), subject to completion of the works. The Librarian will aim to update Readers on the progress of the works as soon as possible.

We will aim to provide information on any further works in the Library via this blog, the Twitter (@vhllib) and Facebook (@vereharmsworthlibrary) accounts, and by email.

We apologise for the short notice of this closure period, and for any disruption caused by this closure.

If you have any further questions about working in the Vere Harmsworth Library, please ask at the Information Desk, or email vhl@bodleian.ox.ac.uk. For further information about the RAI roof works, email Bethan Davies, VHL Librarian at bethan.davies@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

Ceiling works: Closure of main stairway and western alcove of mezzanine 9th-13th January

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[UPDATE: This work has now been completed and the mezzanine and stairway areas are now accessible. Many thanks to our readers for their patience. 19/01/2023] 

The main library stairway and western alcove of the mezzanine (the side furthest from the building foyer), will be CLOSED from 9th -13th January.

This is due to required works on the ceiling in these areas, which will require the installation of internal scaffolding.

The library will remain open during this week. Access to the rest of the mezzanine and upper floors will be maintained via the remaining stairways.

There will be noise disruption in the library from this required work. We recommend sitting on the upper floors and avoiding the mezzanine level. You can ask for ear plugs at the VHL Enquiry Desk.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused. You can find out more background information about the works in our previous blogposts.

If you have any further questions about working in the Vere Harmsworth Library, please ask at the Information Desk, or email vhl@bodleian.ox.ac.uk. For further information about the RAI roof works, email Bethan Davies, VHL Librarian at bethan.davies@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

Rothermere American Institute roof works update: change in expected end date

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Vere Harmsworth Library readers will be aware of the current roof works taking place at the Rothermere American Institute (the building in which the library is located). The works began in July 2022, and have involved the installation of scaffolding around the building, and intermittent noise disruption for our readers.

Unfortunately, due to supply issues, the estimated end date for the works to be completed has now been moved to February 2023. Estates have stated that this timeframe is very much an estimate, and may be subject to change. The VHL will continue to be open for it’s previously advertised opening hours, until further notice. However, it is recommended that readers continue to monitor our blog, social media channels (@vhllib on Twitter and @vereharmsworthlibrary on Facebook) and our website for further updates on the expected roof works, and to help them in planning any potential visits to the library.

We would like to apologise to our readers for the delay, and thank them for their continued patience and understanding whilst the works are being completed. You can find out more background information about the works in our previous blogposts.

If you have any further questions about working in the Vere Harmsworth Library, please ask at the Information Desk, or email vhl@bodleian.ox.ac.uk. For further information about the RAI roof works, email Bethan Davies, VHL Librarian at bethan.davies@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

NEW Online Resource: Women and Social Movements in the United States, 1600-2000

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Decorative image of women throughout American History.I am pleased to report that Bodleian readers now have access to Women and Social Movements in the United States, 1600-2000.

Loosely organized around the history of women in social movements in the United States between 1600 and 2000, the site seeks to advance scholarly debates and understanding of U.S. history while making the insights of women’s history accessible to scholars and students. It features document projects, as well as extensive collections of primary sources. Women and Social Movements in the United States is also an online journal, and our access includes issues up to and including 2019, which feature  document projects and book reviews, as well as a host of other material, including essays, roundtables, and other special features.

Primary source collections within Women and Social Movements in the United States includes:

  • Memoirs, biographies and historical works of women in the U.S. suffrage movement, including the six-volume History of Woman Suffrage, by Stanton, Anthony and others, The Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, as Revealed in Her Letters, Diary and Reminiscences, as well as an online edition of the biographical dictionary Notable American Women (1971-2004).  
  • An almost complete run of Equal Rights, the official publication of the National Women’s Party, 1923-1954.
  • More than 1,800 items written by black women suffragists, 1831-1965
  • 42 major contemporary published works that examine women’s activism from the time of the Civil War to the mid-1950s.
  • 640 publications from the League of Women’s Voters (1923-1999), taken from the League’s library in Washington D.C.
  • More than 1,850 publications of state and local commissions on the status of women, and 73 reports on gender bias in state courts, 1983-2002
  • Records from the National Consumer’s League from 1904 to 1934.
  • Transcriptions of 25 women’s rights conventions (1848-1870), three national conventions of anti-slavery women (1836-1838) and the conference minutes for the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), 1874-1898.
  • Annual reports of the WCTU, 1874-1898.
  • Transcripts of interviews with female US historians who developed the field of women’s history in American academia from the 1960s onwards.

Alongside the above collections, Women and Social Movements in the United States also includes 129 document projects, which present and interpret primary sources, a dictionary of social movements and organisations and a chronology of American women’s history.

This compliments our similar collection, Women and Social Movements, International 1840-present which includes 150,000 pages of conference proceedings, reports of international women’s organizations, publications and web pages of women’s non-governmental organizations, and letters, diaries, and memoirs of women active internationally since the mid-nineteenth century.

You can access Women and Social Movements, United States here, or via the Bodleian Libraries Database A-Z.  Note that you will need to use your Single Sign On to access this resource.

ANNOUNCEMENT: RAI roof works: Planned half day closure this Wednesday

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The Vere Harmsworth Library will be closed for the morning of Wednesday 7th September 2022, and will re-open at 1pm the same day. This closure is separate to the previously advertised full day closure on Saturday 10th September. 

As part of the ongoing essential RAI roof works, extra scaffolding needs to be installed above the main ramp, which leads to the main building entrance. Estates have informed the Vere Harmsworth Librarian that this will block the entrance into the RAI building.

Once in place, readers can resume using the ramp to access the building, under the installed scaffolding. Entry into the building will be signposted.

After careful consideration of the above information, and discussions with the Rothermere American Institute regarding alternative entrances, the Vere Harmsworth Librarian has agreed to close the library on the morning of Wednesday 7th September, 2022, to ensure that essential work can be completed as swiftly and safely as possible.

The library will re-open from 1pm, for our normal advertised vacation hours (1pm-7pm), subject to completion of the works. The Librarian will aim to update Readers on the progress of the works as soon as possible.

We will aim to provide information on any further works in the Library via this blog, the Twitter (@vhllib) and Facebook (@vereharmsworthlibrary) accounts, and by email.

We apologise for the short notice of this closure period, and for any disruption caused by this closure.

If you have any further questions about working in the Vere Harmsworth Library, please ask at the Information Desk, or email vhl@bodleian.ox.ac.uk. For further information about the RAI roof works, email Bethan Davies, VHL Librarian at bethan.davies@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

Planned closure for RAI roof works: Saturday 10th September

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The Vere Harmsworth Library will be closed on Saturday 10th September 2022 and will re-open the following Monday (12th September). 

As part of the ongoing essential RAI roof works, a temporary roof cover needs to be installed on the top of the building. This will involve the use of a crane, which will be located in the RAI car park area. Estates have informed the Vere Harmsworth Librarian that pedestrian access to the RAI building will not be allowed whilst the crane is on site, and access to the car park via the South Parks Road entrance will be blocked off.

Once in place, the temporary roof will allow the builders to complete their full plan of works, and access to the building can resume once the crane has been removed. The expected removal day for the crane will be either the Saturday 10th or Sunday 11th September, depending on completion of works.

After careful consideration of the above information, the Vere Harmsworth Librarian has agreed to close the library on Saturday 10th September, 2022, to ensure that essential work can be completed as swiftly and safely as possible.

The library will re-open from Monday 12th September, for our normal advertised vacation hours (9am-7pm), subject to completion of the works. The Librarian will aim to update Readers on the progress of the works as soon as possible.

We will aim to provide information on any further works in the Library via this blog, the Twitter (@vhllib) and Facebook (@vereharmsworthlibrary) accounts, and by email.

We apologise for any disruption or inconvenience caused to Readers at this time.

If you have any further questions about working in the Vere Harmsworth Library, please ask at the Information Desk, or email vhl@bodleian.ox.ac.uk. For further information about the RAI roof works, email Bethan Davies, VHL Librarian at bethan.davies@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

VHL re-opened after half day closure (25th August 2022)

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The Vere Harmsworth Library has re-opened to readers, following the essential scaffolding installation above the RAI foyer. 

The library re-opened at 1pm on the 25th August, and will remain open until 7pm.

A sign has been set up outside the RAI building to show readers how to enter the building.

We would like to thank our readers for their patience and understanding.

We will aim to provide information on any further works in the Library via this blog, the Twitter (@vhllib) and Facebook (@vereharmsworthlibrary) accounts, and by email.

If you have any further questions about working in the Vere Harmsworth Library, please ask at the Information Desk, or email vhl@bodleian.ox.ac.uk. For further information about the RAI roof works, email Bethan Davies, VHL Librarian at bethan.davies@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

Planned half day closure for RAI roof works: Thursday 25th August 2022 (morning)

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The Vere Harmsworth Library will be closed on the morning of Thursday 25th August 2022, with an expected re-opening time of 1pm. 

As part of the ongoing essential RAI roof works, scaffolding will need to be installed above the entrance of the RAI foyer, from which readers enter the VHL library. The construction workers and Estates have informed the Vere Harmsworth Librarian that the building entrance would need to be temporarily closed off, to allow for the scaffolding to be safely installed.

Once in place, readers can resume accessing the building via the foyer entrance, under the installed scaffolding. Entry into the building will be signposted.

After careful consideration of the above information, and of alternative methods of entry into the library, the Vere Harmsworth Librarian has agreed to close the library for the morning of Thursday 25th August, 2022, to ensure that the essential work can be completed as swiftly and safely as possible.

The library will re-open from 1pm-7pm, subject to completion of the works. The Librarian will aim to update Readers on the progress of the works as soon as possible. The afternoon book deliveries are planned to go ahead as normal, again, subject to the completion of the works.

We will aim to provide information on any further works in the Library via this blog, the Twitter (@vhllib) and Facebook (@vereharmsworthlibrary) accounts, and by email.

We apologise for any disruption or inconvenience caused to Readers at this time.

If you have any further questions about working in the Vere Harmsworth Library, please ask at the Information Desk, or email vhl@bodleian.ox.ac.uk. For further information about the RAI roof works, email Bethan Davies, VHL Librarian at bethan.davies@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

Rothermere American Institute roof works update: Scaffolding

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[UPDATE: Please see our most recent blogpost for an update on the expected end date for the works – updated 7th December 2022]

Scaffolding required for essential remedial work to the internal structure of the Rothermere American Institute (RAI) roof, is expected to be delivered on Wednesday 20th July, 2022. Scaffolding will then be erected on the south facing side of the building (facing Mansfield College and the Princess Margaret gardens), on Friday 22nd July. 

Access into the building will be maintained and signposted throughout the project and the VHL will remain open as advertised with normal library services in operation.

Readers will experience disruption with the installation of the scaffolding. Noise levels from this work will be short term, intermittent and frequent throughout. Scaffolding on the south side of the building will mostly affect the mezzanine area, and it is recommended that readers avoid sitting in this area.

Access into the building will be maintained and signposted throughout the project and the VHL will remain open as advertised with normal library services in operation.

Please note that the VHL will continue to provide earplugs at the VHL enquiry desk.

We apologise for any inconvenience and disruption caused to our readers. We will aim to provide up to date information on expected works as soon as possible, in order to help readers to plan their research. We will continually meet with the contractors and University Estates to pass on any reader feedback, and work together to help reduce disruption whenever possible.

You can find out more background information on the roof works in our initial blogpost. 

If you have any further questions about working in the Vere Harmsworth Library, please ask at the Information Desk, or email vhl@bodleian.ox.ac.uk. For further information about the works, email Bethan Davies, VHL Librarian at bethan.davies@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

Rothermere American Institute roof works, commencing July 4th 2022

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[UPDATE: The estimated end date for the roof works has been delayed, and is now estimated to be completed by February 2023 (subject to change). Read our most recent blog post for more information – updated 7th December 2022]

[UPDATE: The erection of the scaffolding has been delayed, and is now expected to be installed from the week commencing 18th July 2022. We apologise for any inconvenience – updated 11th July 2022] 

University Estates needs to undertake essential remedial work to the internal structure of the Rothermere American Institute (RAI) roof. It is estimated the work will take up to 22 weeks to complete: from w/c 4th July 2022 up to and including w/c 28th November 2022 (week 8 of Michaelmas Term) [Note: the estimated end date for the roof works has now been updated – see UPDATE at the top of the page.] The majority of the work is scheduled during the summer months to reduce the impact on as many readers as possible and we will work closely with University Estates to mitigate the level of disruption to library users. Access into the building will be maintained and signposted throughout the project and the VHL will remain open as advertised with normal library services in operation.

Noise levels should not be too disruptive in the w/c 4th July when the construction area will be set up and secured. Part of the preparations will involve moving the bicycle racks to the grassy area behind the Archaeology building, where they can still be used by VHL readers.

It is expected that scaffolding will be erected around the RAI building from Monday 18th July 2022. Noise levels from this work will be short term, intermittent and frequent throughout. [NOTE: the date of expected scaffold installation has been updated – see UPDATE at the top of the page] 

Please note that the VHL will continue to provide earplugs at the VHL enquiry desk.

We apologise for any inconvenience and disruption caused to our readers. We will aim to provide up to date information on expected works as soon as possible, in order to help readers to plan their research. We will continually meet with the contractors and University Estates to pass on any reader feedback, and work together to help reduce disruption whenever possible.

If you have any further questions about working in the Vere Harmsworth Library, please ask at the Information Desk, or email vhl@bodleian.ox.ac.uk. For further information about the works, email Bethan Davies, VHL Librarian at bethan.davies@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.