Historical Musicals Display!

Posted on 2 July 2025 by ljones

As we head into the Summer Vacation, we’ve decided to do a light hearted display theme. Inspired by the viral success of Rachel Zegler’s West End performance in Evita, in which the Hunger Games star portrays the former First Lady of Argentina, Eva Peron, we have selected a variety of books from the History Faculty collection with connections to musicals. Most are currently running in London!

See if you can guess which musicals inspired the selected books!

And for our ebook selection:

Queer Oz: L. Frank Baum's Trans Tales and Other Astounding Adventures ...

In the meantime, we hope everyone has a wonderful summer vacation!

Database trial until 20 July 2025: Liverpool Shipping Records, 1820-1900

Posted on 23 June 2025 by iholowaty

We are now trialling Liverpool Shipping Records: Imports and Exports, 1820–1900 and welcome feedback from students and researchers.

An early 19th century historical painting of Liverpool docks showing masts of sailing ships.

At top of the image you can browse by volumes and documents, search, read key data and resources relating to the database. — © 2013 Microform Academic Publishers. All rights reserved.

This resource documents 80 years of merchant shipping to and from the city of Liverpool. This collection of over 85,000 documents comprises Bills of Entry derived from the reports and manifests of ships that docked in the city. These detailed documents offer unique insights into Liverpool’s maritime history and the goods traded in the city throughout most of the nineteenth century. They also illustrate how heavily Liverpool became involved in various imperial trade networks, including those concerned with cotton, indigo, rice, rum, sugar, and tobacco. Many of the goods traded in the city were derived from the labour of enslaved people. Liverpool and its merchants were major players in the transatlantic slave trade. By 1800, the city was the largest slave trading port in the world and much of Liverpool’s wealth and development relied upon enslavement and this triangular trade.

Content Warning: This collection contains racist or offensive terms. Owing to their historical importance, the sources are in their original state.

More about this resource

“Liverpool was a major slave trading port during the eighteenth century. This changed after the abolition of the slave trade in 1807 and, subsequently, the end of plantation slavery in most British colonies after 1833. Cotton therefore became the most important commodity in Liverpool. In 1784, the first cotton from North America arrived in the city. By 1850, over 1.5 million bales of cotton were imported from America to Liverpool every year and cotton accounted for almost half of the city’s trade. This boom relied upon cotton produced from the labour of enslaved people, as slavery was not abolished in North America until 1865. Mills across Lancashire transformed this cotton into finished goods, which were exported across the globe from Liverpool’s docks.”

An excerpt from the Liverpool Bill of Entry of 1 Jan 1829. It shows a list of produce imported from different locations, e.g. Bombay, Buenos Aires, Cadiz, Calcutta, etc. — Digital images © 2013 Microform Academic Publishers, scanned & published with the permission of Liverpool City Council and the National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside. All rights reserved.

“Bills of Entry are printed records of imports and exports. The first Bills of entry for Liverpool were printed around 1750. Over time, they became more extensive, eventually serving as business newspapers for the local commercial community. By the late 1840s, the Bills were printed daily, except for Sundays, giving a comprehensive overview of maritime trade in Liverpool. The documents in this collection contain detailed information, such as the names of ships, where they arrived from and where they embarked for, their captains, their tonnage, their date of arrival and departure, cargo details, as well as the names of the people and companies associated with each shipment.

The sources in this collection provide a detailed overview of the nature and development of Liverpool’s trade routes and relationships. They also highlight how trading priorities changed over time, particularly during the Industrial Revolution, when Britain began exporting large volumes of goods manufactured using new technologies and processes. Crucially, the sources also illustrate how Britain’s commercial interests and networks laid the foundations for a vast, global empire.

The sources in this collection detail key imports and exports entering and leaving Liverpool. For example, pimento and logwood were shipped to Britain from Jamaica, while mustard seeds, liquorice root, and saffron came from India. Bacon and lard made their way from New Orleans, and wine, lemons, and oranges were imported from Spain. Meanwhile, Britain exported tobacco, paint, and sewing machines to Africa; cotton, soap, and tools to Singapore; whilst wine, leather, and glassware were shipped to Brazil.”

Information about this resource has been taken from British Online Archives: Liverpool Shipping Records: Imports and Exports, 1820–1900.

Email feedback to Isabel.holowaty@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

While you are here…

you may also be interested in other resources (available to registered readers)

Vacation Loans

Posted on 16 June 2025 by scloudesley

As we draw to the end of Trinity term, the History Faculty Library has moved into its Long Vacation loan period. From today, Monday 16th June (8th week), all books issued from the library won’t need to be returned until Tuesday 14th October (1st week, Michaelmas).

This also applies to any online renewals of current loans that take place from Monday 16th onwards. However, if there is a hold request on a book you have, it will need to be brought back by the original due date.

As always, you can check due dates and renew books through your SOLO account. And if you have any questions please come and speak to staff in the Radcliffe Camera or drop us an email at library.history@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

Happy summer reading! If you are leaving Oxford this summer, we wish you all the very best for the future.

Trial until 8 July: Routledge Historical Resources: History of Feminism

Posted on 13 June 2025 by iholowaty

We are now trialling Routledge Historical Resources: History of Feminism and warmly invite feedback from students and researchers.

Snippet of the Routledge History of Feminism showing a quick search box, a list of subjects (Education, Empire, Literature & Writings, Movements & ideologies, Politics & law, Religion & belief, Society & culture, Women at Home). The period lists covers pre 1770 to post-1929; re list of regions covers Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania. — Routledge History of Feminism © 2025 Informa UK Limited, an Informa Group Company

This resource provides access to a digitised library on the subject of feminism over the long 19^th Century (1776-1928). It contains an extensive range of primary and secondary resources, including full books, selected chapters, and journal articles, as well as new thematic essays, and subject introductions on its structural themes:

Education
Empire
Literature and writings
Movements and ideologies
Politics and Law
Religion and belief
Society and culture

It has a broad geographical scope with a particular focus on Europe and the Americas, but also Asia, Oceania and Africa.

A screenshot showing the 1st page of A Humble Enterprise (London: Ward, Lock & Bowden, 1896), pp. 24–44, in
Volume 1. Australia. Edited by Susan K. Martin; Caroline Daley; Elizabeth Dimock; Cheryl Cassidy; Cecily Devereux. Published: 26 Jan 2009 DOI: 10.4324/9780415310932 — *A Humble Enterprise* (London: Ward, Lock & Bowden, 1896), pp. 24–44. in Volume 1. Australia. Edited by Susan K. Martin; Caroline Daley; Elizabeth Dimock; Cheryl Cassidy; Cecily Devereux. Published: 26 Jan 2009 DOI: 10.4324/9780415310932 © 2025 Informa UK Limited, an Informa Group Company

Feedback should be emailed to isabel.holowaty@bodleian.ox.ac.uk or sarah.currant@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

While you are here, check out our many other resources on gender and women’s history:

Looking for more readings and resources?

See our Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies LibGuide.

Pride Month Display

Posted on 5 June 2025 by ljones

Banner reading "pride month" in alternating rainbow colours. The banner features an illustration of a bumblebee hummingbird with its feather colours altered to resemble the Gilbert Baker rainbow pride flag

This Pride month, the History Faculty Library has arranged a display commemorating the history of LGBT+ communities throughout the world. This display aims to address diverse experiences throughout the LGBT+ spectrum, as well as across many different cultures and time periods. The display can be browsed in the Upper Gladstone Link of the Radcliffe Camera, in addition to the collection of e-books which can be accessed by clicking on the book cover pictures further below.

Explore the activism of black members of the LGBT+ community and their relations to the civil rights movements post-WW2 with Jennifer Dominique Jones’ book “Ambivalent affinities,” featured in the on-shelf display or read analysis about the desires between ancient women of the greek and roman worlds with Sandra Boehringer’s book on the e-book display below, plus many more.

Check out the events that are being held by Oxford University for pride by clicking here and scrolling to the second sub-section, or head to Oxford Pride to see the itinerary of events throughout Oxford and how to get involved.

photograph of a display of 14 books along with 2 posters promoting the e-books linked further down in this article.
The books, from the top left are:
1) As good as marriage : the Anne Lister diaries, 1836-38 / [edited by] Jill Liddington.
2) Unmaking sex : the gender outlaws of nineteenth-century France / Anne E. Linton.
3)The Stonewall Riots : a documentary history / Marc Stein.
4)LGBT Victorians : sexuality and gender in the nineteenth-century archives / Simon Joyce.
5)Unsuitable : a history of lesbian fashion / Eleanor Medhurst.
6) Ambivalent affinities : a political history of Blackness and homosexuality after World War II / Jennifer Dominique Jones.
7) Surpassing the love of men : romantic friendship and love between women from the Renaissance to the present / Lillian Faderman.
8) On queer street : a social history of British homosexuality, 1895-1995 / Hugh David.
9) No bath but plenty of bubbles : an oral history of the gay liberation front, 1970-73 / Lisa Power
10) Not a passing phase : reclaiming lesbians in history 1840-1985 / Lesbian History Group
11) James VI and I and the history of homosexuality / Michael B. Young.
12) Ambiguous gender in early modern Spain and Portugal : inquisitors, doctors and the transgression of gender norms / François Soyer.
13) Same-sex sexuality in later medieval English culture / Tom Linkinen.
14) Before homosexuality in the Arab-Islamic world, 1500-1800 / Khaled El-Rouayheb.

Accessing these e-resource materials will require a Single-Sign-On Login for Oxford University members. External readers will need to log in with their Bodleian accounts while using the Bodleian libraries network (either the Bodleian Libraries Wi-fi network or using the reader PCs within the library.)

Book cover for "The Libertine's Friend: Homosexuality & Masculinity in Late Imperial China" by G. Vitello featuring an ink illustration of two men in a forest

Book cover for "Among Women: From the Homosocial to the Homoerotic in the Ancient World" edited by N. S. Rabinowitz and L. Auanger featuring black and white freize illustrations with a red border.

British Online Archives collections: trials and free access until end of June 2025

Posted on 2 June 2025 by iholowaty

We warmly invite historians to give us feedback on the following trial resources from British Online Archives.

British Mercantile Trade Statistics, 1662–1809 (British Online Archives) [trial ends 26/6/25]

This resource charts nearly 150 years of British trade and shipping by giving access to a collection of trade ledgers, registers and indexes that supply detailed statistical data on trade throughout the Long Eighteenth Century. It also includes official registers of “Mediterranean passes” which include information on which vessels were issued passes, their port of embarkation and destinations, as well as additional information on their size, crew, and defences.

Throughout this pivotal period of British and global trade expansion, this resource shines a light on Britain’s increasing naval capabilities and the expansion of lucrative maritime trade networks fuelled significant economic growth. Frequently built upon exploitation and enslaved labour, the establishment of British trading outposts and plantations throughout Africa, Asia, the Americas, and the Caribbean laid the foundations for a worldwide empire and secured access to sought after commodities, such as sugar, tobacco, and textiles

This resource will be useful to those researching the colonial, economic, and maritime dimensions of British history throughout this period. It should also interest those exploring broader themes, such as the escalation of global trade and the development of the fiscal-military state.

Power and Profit: British Colonial Trade in America and the Caribbean, 1678–1825 (British Online Archives) [trial ends 26/6/25]

This collection is composed of British Naval Office shipping lists between the years of 1678 and 1825. These 150 years saw the rise of British naval power across the globe, which significantly contributed to the proliferation of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and the eventual establishment of the British Empire.

Information provided by the shipping lists includes the name of the vessel, the name of its home port and colony, details of the vessel’s construction, the name of the owner(s), the tonnage of the vessel, the number of guns carried, the number of crew, and the cargo carried (including enslaved people as well as raw material). Thus, the files paint a detailed picture of how triangular trade was conducted between Britain, her colonies, and lucrative markets in Europe and the Americas.

Content Warning: This collection contains racist or offensive terms. Owing to their historical importance, the sources are in their original state.

Feedback should be sent to isabel.holowaty@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

While you are here, check out:

Sources for early modern British and West European history (LibGuide)
More databases for early modern history
More databases on slavery history

London Life, 1965-66 (British Online Archives) [trial ends 30/6/25]

Launched in 1965, this new magazine endeavoured to “reflect all aspects of the life of London”. Throughout its brief existence, it proved adept at conveying the spirit of the “Swinging Sixties” in the world’s “capital of cool”. Featuring interviews with cultural icons as well as contributions from rising stars, such as the supermodel, London Life remains emblematic of 1960s counterculture.

Encompassing nearly 5,000 images, this collection contains all 63 issues of London Life, published between October 1965 and December of the following year.

London Life covered a wide range of topics, from music and film to sexuality and the thriving nightlife of London’s West End. It likewise captured the increasingly cosmopolitan nature of British society, documenting the emergence of a more diverse media landscape and audience. This collection contains essential material for those interested in the cultural history of the 1960s and, more specifically, in Britain’s cultural revolution and the advent of its “permissive society”.

Feedback should be emailed to Isabel Holowaty.

The Sphere, 1900-1964 (British Online Archives) [trial ends 30/6/25]

From its first issue, The Sphere adopted a consciously international outlook, aiming to “hold pictures and thoughts from all lands”. Upon its release, it was praised as “a striking advance in illustrated journalism” due to the beauty and artistry of its presentation. It soon became popular. This collection includes nearly 160,000 images and almost 4,000 issues published between January 1900 and June 1964.

The Sphere reflected a patriotic and staunchly pro-establishment position, expressing support for the British monarchy and for the empire. The publication reported extensively on world events, such as the rise of communism, the First and Second World Wars, and the Arab-Israeli conflict. It printed articles discussing a wide range of prominent personalities from the arts, sciences, and politics—from John Ruskin to Albert Einstein; from Franklin Delano Roosevelt to Golda Meir. It also featured contributions from well-known literary figures. This collection contains vital material for researchers and students of British society, military history, and the legacies of colonialism.

Feedback should be emailed to Isabel Holowaty.

Communisms and the Cold War, 1944-1986 (British Online Archives) [trial ends 30/6/25]

This collection contains reports and other records compiled by the Communist Party of Great Britain’s (CPGB) International Department between 1944 and 1986. The majority of the documents cover the Sino-Soviet split and the Chinese-Indian disputes of the 1960s and 1970s. There are also materials relating to Soviet satellite states in Eastern Europe, the left in Western Europe, and anti-colonial movements in the developing world.

Feedback should be emailed to Jo Gardner.

Gain Valuable Experience and Get Paid as a Gale Student Ambassador!

Posted on 12 May 2025 by iholowaty

Are you looking to enhance your CV with paid business experience at a global publisher? Gale, an international leader in digital archives and library resources, is offering an exciting opportunity for students to become Gale Student Ambassadors for the 2025-26 academic year.

As a Gale Student Ambassador, you will help raise awareness about Gale’s fascinating archives, which include full collections of newspapers like The Times, The Telegraph, the Daily Mail, and The Economist, as well as specialised archives like Eighteenth Century Collections Online and the Archives of Sexuality and Gender.

Why Apply?

Paid Business Experience: Earn £750 while working directly with a global publisher.
Marketing Skills: Run your own marketing campaigns, refining copy and images for successful social media use.
Public Speaking: Gain valuable public speaking experience by conducting presentations and training sessions for your peers.
Published Work: Feature your work on Gale’s company blog, providing shareable evidence of your contributions.
Networking: Connect with university staff, fellow students, and professionals at Gale, both locally and internationally.
Research Skills: Enhance your research abilities and discover primary sources to improve your essays and grades.

Application Deadline: 1 July 2025

Don’t miss this chance to boost your career prospects and gain unique experiences. Interested? Click the link below for more information and to apply.

Apply now at https://www.gale.com/intl/gale-ambassadors/application

Mental Health Awareness Week

Posted on 1 May 2025 by ljones

From the the 12-18th May, it is Mental Health Awareness Week. This year, we have focused our online resources on the present, and even the future of mental health, on top of our usual historical offerings, particularly focusing on groups underrepresented in the HFL’s physical collection.

The physical display in the Upper Gladstone Link.

We’d also like to take this chance to remind students during Trinity Term of the mental health resources on offer to them through the University and the Bodleian Library.

The University has a range of resources, covering topics such as academic wellbeing and bereavement. Find out more here: Supportive resources | University of Oxford

And did you know that there is a wellbeing display in the Old Library? Located on the Mezzanine next to the Upper Reading Room, the display has a range of books from self-help to poetry.

History Thesis Fair for undergraduates on Wed 30 April

Posted on 23 April 2025 by mendonckw

We are delighted to run the History Thesis Fair for second-year undergraduates this year on Wednesday 30 April, 3-5pm at the Examination Schools (North Writing School).

All info can be found here: History Thesis Fair for Undergraduates

The Fair is aimed at 2nd year history undergraduates embarking on their thesis research and who are looking to explore the wealth of research source material available for their field of study.

It is the ideal opportunity to learn about resources you may not yet have considered for your undergraduate thesis, and to connect with librarians, archivists, researchers, and collection curators who can guide you towards relevant material or useful finding tools. You can also speak to other students who have previously written dissertations and learn about their TOP 10 TIPS.

30 stalls will cover many areas:

Topical stalls, e.g.

Biography
Disability History
Legal History
LGBTQ+, Gender and Sexuality
History of Science & Medicine
Maps and Mapping
Medieval History
Oral History
Visual Culture
and more

Special Collections, libraries and archives, e.g.

Archives and Manuscripts 1500-1800
Archives and Modern Manuscripts 1800-
College Libraries (Special Collections)
College Archives
Digital primary source providers: Gale Primary Sources, AM – Adam Matthew Digital
Early Printed Books
Oxford Brookes University Special Collections & Archives
Oxfordshire History Centre
Printed Ephemera (John Johnson Collection)
UK Government and International Intergovernmental Publications

Geographical stalls, e.g.

Africa & Commonwealth
East Asia & South Asia
Eastern Europe and Russia
Great Britain & Western Europe
Middle East, Hebrew & Judaica, Caucasus & Central Asia
Latin America
United States

Plus, at our Information Skills stall, learn what courses are laid on to help you develop the research and referencing skills you will need.

The format of the Fair encourages you to explore and discover new materials at your own pace, to be curious, to network and to make connections to experts and your peers.

Accessibility

The main entrance to the Examination Schools is stepped. There is a ramped entrance immediately to the left of the main entrance. There is lift access throughout the building, two wheelchair accessible toilets and hearing support systems that can be deployed where needed throughout the building. Most areas of the building have level access.

The accessible toilet is gender neutral and is at the bottom of the staircase opp. Room 8.

If you have any queries, please email library.history@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

Research skills training

Working on your thesis means that you will need to learn new or improve existing research skills, including:

Effective searching for information;
Awareness of the rich sources available in Oxford (and beyond) and how to access them;
Ability to correctly handle physical source material, such as archives;
Correct citation practices, ethical research practice, etc.;
Awareness of the relevant experts in Oxford libraries and archives.

The Bodleian Libraries have many classes and workshops set up to help you learn the skills you need – check out the research training page on this Libguide:

Research Training for Historians

We hope to see you at the Fair!

2nd year UG Historians: Get Ready for Your Thesis Research in Trinity Term!

Posted on 23 April 2025 by mendonckw

Throughout Trinity term, the Bodleian Library is offering a range of classes, events and workshops designed to support Oxford second-year UG historians who are working towards their thesis.

It’s a very exciting time for all budding historians, as it offers you the opportunity to engage in primary research on a subject of your own devising, and to work out arguments which are entirely your own (not a synthesis of the conclusions of others). You will work as a historical scholar in your own right and will taste the kind of academic work undertaken professionally by your tutors.

To understand more about the requirements and support for your thesis, check out the History Faculty guidance on the compulsory thesis.

Doing research on your thesis also means that you will need to learn new skills, deepening your knowledge of resources and sources and how to go about locating and using them. This includes:

Information searching and research skills;
Awareness of the rich sources available to you in Oxford (and beyond) and knowing how to access them;
The right way to handle material, including archives, correct citation practices, ethical research practice, etc.;
Knowing the relevant experts in Oxford libraries and archives.

THE TRAINING SCHEDULE

Most sessions require SSO for bookings. You can find the training programme below – subdivided into research skills and referencing training.

Some sessions are open to other members of the University. Others are exclusively aimed at undergraduates of the History Faculty, University of Oxford.

If you have any queries regarding these or have problems with registration, please email library.history@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

A. RESEARCH SKILLS TRAINING

[Hist Fac UGs] History Thesis Fair – Wed 30 April 2025 (week 1) @ 3-5pm – In person, North Writing School, Exam Schools

This highly popular Fair has Librarians, Academics, Information Skills advisors, Subject Specialists and many more covering many different subjects and aspects of your Thesis prep. Come and talk to dedicated specialists and find out what there is on offer in Oxford and further afield! If you are in a college beginning letters B-N, please come at 3pm; all other colleges should try to come at 4pm – but if you can’t make it during your time slot, just come when you can.

Webinar: ‘Getting started with the new interface of Bibliography of British and Irish History‘ – Mon 28 April 2025 (week 1) @ 4pm-4.15pm – Free online training provided by Brepols

This short and practical webinar will introduce the new interface of the Bibliography of British and Irish History (BBIH). Advance registration required.

Discovering Archives and Modern Manuscripts at the Bodleian Libraries (Bodleian iSkills) – Thurs 1 May 2025 (week 1) @ 10-11.30 am – In person, Weston Library Lecture Theatre

This workshop will introduce participants to the key catalogues and finding aids for post-1800 archives and manuscripts at the Bodleian Libraries. In particular the session will focus on Bodleian Archives & Manuscripts, the online catalogue for post-1800 archives and manuscripts. The session will also briefly introduce some of the major UK online gateways for discovering archives.

[Hist Fac UGs] Researching Bibliography – Wed 7 May 2025 (week 2) @ 12noon-1pm – On Teams

This online session aims to give you a head start on the skills you will need to track down secondary literature and primary source material for your thesis. A range of library catalogues, databases, web portals and more will be explored to help you make the best use of your time.

Introduction to Online Resources for Historians: Show and Tell (Bodleian iSkills) – Thurs 8 May 2025 (week 2) @ 2-4pm – On Teams

A general online introduction to the vast range of electronic resources which are available for all historical periods of British and Western European history. Learning outcomes are to: Gain an overview of some of the key online resources for Medieval, Early Modern and Modern British and Western European History. Know how to access subscription resources. Gain awareness of key examples of useful resources: bibliographic databases; reference sources; primary sources; maps; audio-visual resources, and data sources.

Using AI to Find, Analyse, and Share Information Sources (Bodleian iSkills) – Mon 12 May 2025 (week 3) and Mon 2 June 2025 (week 6) @ 9.30am-12pm – In person, IT Services, 7-19 Banbury Road

This beginner-friendly workshop introduces three GenAI tools (ChatGPT, Elicit, and Perplexity), showing how they can support information discovery and analysis. Designed for those new to AI, it will allow you to independently experiment with these tools and will explore their strengths, limitations, and suitability for different tasks.

Sources for Modern Global History (Bodleian iSkills) – Wed 14 May 2025 (Week 3) @ 2-3.45pm – In person, Weston Library Lecture Theatre

This in-person session introduces key archival, printed and electronic resources, such as finding aids, bibliographic resources and primary sources for post-1800 global history. The focus will be on non-European history but will draw predominantly on English and European language resources.

Newspapers and Other Online News Sources from the 17th-21st Centuries (Bodleian iSkills) – Wed 21 May 2025 (week 4) @ 11.30am-1pm – On Teams

Newspapers are a valuable resource for researching not only news but also many other aspects of political, economic, social and cultural life. In this online session we will introduce key online sources of news and how to make best use of them. The focus will be on historical and contemporary newspapers from the 17th century across most countries of the world.

[Hist Fac UGs] Research Skills for your Thesis: a Workshop – Tues 27 May 2025 (week 5) @ 2-4pm – In person – Sign up required

This session is designed to equip you with key information skills in order to make best use of electronic information and discovery resources. A range of finding aids and databases will be explored, as well as advanced search techniques which can be used in SOLO and other online search tools.

Sources for US History (Bodleian iSkills) – Thurs 29 May 2025 (week 5) @ 2-3.30pm – On Teams

An online introduction to primary sources for the study of American history, from the colonial period to the 20th Century. The session will provide an overview of the different kinds of information sources (early printed books, newspapers, databases and official records), and guidance on locating material for research. Collections highlighted include physical materials available in Oxford, Bodleian databases and other online resources.

[Hist Fac UGs] Sources for Medieval History – Thurs 5 June 2025 (week 6) @ 11.30am-1pm – On Teams

This online session provides a general overview of a wide range of e-resources relevant for British and Western European medieval history: bibliographical databases, biographical/reference tools, web portals and collections of online primary source materials of Anglo-Saxon sources, chronicles, charters and more.

[Hist Fac UGs] Sources for Early Modern History – Mon 9 June 2025 (week 7) @ 2-3.30pm – On Teams

This online session provides a general overview of a wide range of e-resources relevant for British and Western European early modern history: bibliographical databases, biographical/reference tools, online collections of early printed books, newspapers, state papers touching on the political, social and religious upheavals during this period.

Working with Sensitive Research Data (Bodleian iSkills) – Tues 10 June 2025 (week 7) @ 2-4pm – In person, Information Skills Training Room, Social Science Library

A workshop outlining some of the key principles to bear in mind when working with sensitive or restricted research. Issues of confidentiality, informed consent, cybersecurity and data management will be covered. The role of support services at Oxford will also be outlined and in particular the role of the Bodleian Data Librarian.

[Hist Fac UGs] REPEAT: Research Skills for your Thesis: a Workshop – Tues 10 June 2025 (week 7) @ 2-4pm – In person – Sign up required

B. REFERENCING TRAINING: USING SOFTWARE TO CITE SOURCES

Referencing: Choosing and Using Software for Referencing (Bodleian iSkills) – Tues 29 April 2025 (week 1) @ 1.30-4.30pm – In person, IT Services, 7-19 Banbury Road

Formatting your in-text citations, footnotes and bibliography correctly for your thesis or publication is crucial. Reference management tools make this easier and save you time. This classroom-based session gives an overview of how reference management works, explores the advantages and disadvantages of a range of software packages and gives you the opportunity to try out four different packages (RefWorks, EndNote, Mendeley and Zotero) so that you can work out which one is best for you.

Referencing: Zotero (Bodleian iSkills) – In person: Fri 09 May 2025 (week 2) @ 1.30-4.30pm – IT Services, 7-19 Banbury Road | On Teams: Wed 28 May 2025 (week 5) @ 9.30-11.00am

Zotero is a reference management tool that helps you build libraries of references and add citations and bibliographies to word processed documents using your chosen citation style. This introduction is available in both online and face-to-face formats.

Referencing: EndNote (Bodleian iSkills) – In Person: Mon 12 May 2025 (week 3) @ 1.30-4.30pm – IT Services, 7-19 Banbury Road | On Teams: Wed 21 May 2025 (week 4) @ 9.30am-11.30am

EndNote is a desktop-based reference management tool for Windows and Mac users. It helps you to build libraries of references and insert them into Word documents as in-text citations or footnotes, and to automatically generate bibliographies. This introduction is available in both online and face-to-face formats.

Referencing: RefWorks (Bodleian iSkills) – Wed 21 May 2025 (week 4) @ 2-4pm – On Teams

RefWorks is web-based and helps you to collect and manage references and insert them into your word processed document as in-text citations or footnotes, and you can generate bibliographies. Being web-based, RefWorks can be used with any operating system and, to cite your references in a document, provides a plugin for Microsoft Word on Windows or Mac computers.

Best of luck training and preparing for your thesis research!

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