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

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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:

  1. Information searching and research skills;
  2. Awareness of the rich sources available to you in Oxford (and beyond) and knowing how to access them;
  3. The right way to handle material, including archives, correct citation practices, ethical research practice, etc.;
  4. 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

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.

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!

Easter Closure

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Just a reminder that the Radcliffe Camera will be closed over the Easter weekend, from Friday 18th April to Sunday 20th April inclusive. We will be open as normal 9am on Easter Monday 21st April. Please note however that there will be no book delivery service on this day.

We hope you all have a wonderful long weekend!

Illustration by Gail Sinclair

Earth Day

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Banner with a logo reading: "Earthday.org." The background is a digital drawing of a sunset over the ocean.

To raise awareness about the ecological impact of human activity, Earth Day has been held every April 22nd since 1970. The campaign aims to encourage the larger structural change necessary to address the factors responsible for environmental crisis throughout the world, as well as more local practices. Recognising that the heaviest burden of environmental disaster will fall on the most vulnerable and marginalised populations before all else, the campaign also stresses the importance of including these communities in the movement and giving voice to their concerns.

A display has been arranged in the Upper Gladstone Link in Radcliffe Camera, consisting of History Faculty Library material. It addresses the past of human environmental intervention, as well as featuring current and future issues. This display also includes relevant e-resources, which can be accessed by clicking on the book cover pictures further below.

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 "Wild by Design" by Laura J. Martin featuring leaf designs.
Book cover for "Toxic Water Toxic System: Environmental Racism and Michigan's Water War" by M. Mascarenhas featuring a photograph of protesters set to a warm-toned gradient
Book cover for "Environmental thought in The Greco-Roman World" O. D. Cordovana featuring a mosaic of a griffin/chimera
Book cover for "Colonial Seeds in African Soil: A Critical History of Forest Conservation in Sierra Leone" featuring a black and white photograph of a boy in a forested landscape.
Book cover for "Civilizing Nature: National Parks in Global Historical Perspective" by B. Gissibl, S. Hohler and P. Kupper featuring a photograph of a Rhino being airlifted in a grassy landscape.
Book cover for "The Ends of the Earth" edited by D. Worster, featuring a block colour print-style illustration of a fisherman in front of a lake set in front of mountains on a yellow background.
Book cover for "An Environmental History of Australian Rainforests Until 1939" by W. Frost, featuring green repeating floral patterns.
Book cover for "Toxic City: Redevelopment and Environmental Justice in San Fransisco" by L. Dillon, featuring a photograph of a powerplant against the sky.
Banner with a logo reading: "Earthday.org." The background is a digital drawing of a sunrise over the ocean.

Easter Vacation Loans

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We are almost at the end of Hilary Term and so the History Faculty Library will be moving into the vacation loan period. From today – Monday 10th March (8th week), all books issued from the library won’t need to be returned until Tuesday 29th April (1st week, Trinity).

This also applies to any online renewals of current loans that take place from Monday 10th 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.

Have a lovely break!

Women’s History Month

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Banner reading "International Women's day" in white text inside a black box. This box is paired with ink illustrations of flowers in black and white, as well as flecks of gold in the background. A sun design in the same gold rests in the middle of the image.

International Women’s day is an annual event that occurs on March 8th, aiming to commemorate the achievements of women while also advocating for gender equality. To celebrate this, the History Faculty Library at the Radcliffe Camera has arranged a display in the Upper Gladstone Link for Women’s History Month that will be held until the end of March.

This year, the display is focusing on women in the visual arts throughout history, specifically as active participants in the discipline: creators, curators, critics and patrons.

Photograph of women's history month display. The book titles include, from the top left: Women, art and patronage from Henry III to Edward III, 1216-1377 by Loveday Lewes Gee, Vision and difference : femininity, feminism and the histories of art by Griselda Pollock, Old mistresses : women, art and ideology by Rozsika Parker and Griselda Pollock, Women and art in early modern Europe : patrons, collectors, and connoisseurs edited by Cynthia Lawrence, Women and visual culture in early nineteenth-century France 1800-1852 by Gen Doy, Women in the Victorian art world edited by Clarissa Campbell Orr, The obstacle race : the fortunes of women painters and their work by Germaine Greer, Women artists : recognition and reappraisal from the early Middle Ages to the twentieth century by Karen Petersen and J. J. Wilson, Women, art, and society by Whitney Chadwick, Pre-raphaelite women artists vy Jan Marsh & Pamela Gerrish Nunn, Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, 1755-1842 by Joseph Baillio and Our hidden heritage : five centuries of women artists by Eleanor Tufts.

In addition to the display in the Radcliffe Camera, a series of 8 e-books have also been selected according to this theme. Click on any of the pictures below to be taken to the SOLO record for each resource. Accessing the 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 of "Angelica Kauffman: Art and Sensibility" by Angela Rosenthal, which includes a self-portait of the artist in warm brown tones.
Book cover for "Artemisia Gentileschi and the Business of Art" by Christopher Marshall. It includes a self-portrait of the artist as St. Catherine of Alexandria.
Book cover for " Berthe Morisot's Images of Women " by Anne Higonnet. Includes self-portrait of the artist in a yellow dress, the image is surrounded by a blue background.
Book cover for "Tamara de Lempicka" by Patrick Bade. The cover includes the painting by the artist titled " The green Turban" which depicts two women leaning against one another.
Book cover of " Mary Cassatt : a life" by Nancy Mowll Mathews. The cover includes a self-portrait of the artist in a white dress lounging against a sofa with a beige background.
Book cover of "Modern women artists in the Nordic countries, 1900-1960" by Kerry Greaves. It includes an abstract experssionist painting in various jewel tones and alternating white and burgandy text and background beneath the painting.
Book cover for " Sturtevant : Warhol Marilyn" by Patricia Lee. The cover includes the famous portrait of Marilyn on a white background with black text.
Book cover for "Women artists of the harlem renaissance" edited by Helen Hirschke. It features an art noveau- style figure in black and white with text above in ombres of red and black.

Trial until 29 March: British Colonial Policy and Intelligence Files on Asia and the Middle-East, c. 1880-1950

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We are currently trialling British Colonial Policy and Intelligence Files on Asia and the Middle-East, c. 1880-1950 from De Gruyter. 

The files detail British colonial administration and intelligence gathering. They comprise a wide variety of papers received from the Government of India Foreign Department and other sources in India, and from the Foreign Office in London, together with India Office-generated minuting, comment and replies.

“British Legation/Embassy, Tehran. Military Attaché’s Intelligence Summaries. Foreign Office, London, Confidential Print.” In British Intelligence and Policy on Persia (Iran), c. 1900–1949. Leiden: De Gruyter, 2024. https://www-degruyter-com.ezproxy-prd.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/database/IRAN/entry/iran.L_PS_12_3504/html

The files are divided into collections as follows:

You can access the trial via the New/Trial databases on Databases A-Z and it will run until 29th March 2025. 

Please send feedback and comments to Emma Mathieson, Lydia Wright and Mamtimyn Sunuodula.

LGBT+ History Month 2025

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In the UK, February marks LGBT+ History month, an initiative started by the education charity Schools OUT. Now in its twentieth year, the month provides an opportunity for LGBTQ+ people from a variety of backgrounds to explore their histories. You can learn more about the national campaign here.

This year, our display highlights some lesser known queer stories in history, from the medieval islamicate world to Brighton in the 50s and 60s. Be sure to check out the physical books on display, as well as our e-book display below.

Oxford University members can access all e-books remotely by signing into SOLO with their ‘Single Sign On.’ Click on the book covers below to view the SOLO records for some of the featured texts.

Our physical display includes:

  1. Black on Both Sides : A Racial History of Trans Identity by C. Riley Snorton.
  2. Re-Dressing: America’s Frontier Past by Peter Boag.
  3. Daring Hearts : Lesbian and Gay Lives of 50s and 60s Brighton by The Brighton Ourstory Project.
  4. Male Colors : The Construction of Homosexuality in Tokugawa Japan by Gary P. Leupp.
  5. Masculinity, Class and Same-sex Desire in Industrial England, 1895-1957 by Helen Smith.
  6. Islamicate Sexualities : Translations Across Temporal Geographies of Desire, edited by Kathryn Babayan and Afsaneh Najmabadi.
  7. Female Masculinity by Jack Halberstam.
  8. The Pink Triangle by Richard Plant.
  9. True Sex : The Lives of Trans Men at the Turn of the Twentieth Century by Emily Skidmore.
  10. Autobiography of an Androgyne by Ralph Werther/Earl Lind, edited by Scott Herring.
  11. Intimate Friends : Women Who Loved Women, 1778-1928 by Martha Vicinus.
  12. Histories of the Transgender Child by Jules Gill-Peterson.
  13. Gay Life and Culture : A World History by Robert Aldrich.
  14. Good as You by Paul Flynn.
  15. It’s Not Unusual: A History of Lesbian and Gay Britain in the Twentieth Century by Alkarim Jivani.
  16. Out on Stage by Alan Sinfield.

Hilary term 2025 information skills training: learn to finding sources & cite them, understand Open Access or dip your toes into AI

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photo (c) John Cairns

This coming term Bodleian Libraries offers an exiting information skills programme covering classes, workshops and briefings on a whole range of topics. All our workshops are free to attend, and some may have additional dates available. We recommend early booking, esp. reference management classes which are very popular.

Finding & using primary sources

Weds22/01/2514:00 – 16:00Introduction to online resources for historians: show and tellOnline
Tues04/02/2515:00 – 16:30Keeping up to date with researchOnline
Tues11/02/2510:00 – 12:00Data sources for research – discovery, access and useIn person
Tues18/02/2514:30 – 16:00Discovering archives and modern manuscripts at the Bodleian LibrariesIn person
Weds19/02/2511:30 – 13:00Newspapers and other online news sources from the 17th-21st centuriesOnline
Tues25/02/2510:00 – 12:00Working with sensitive research dataIn person

 Reference Management

Weds22/01/2513:30 – 16:30Choosing and using software for referencingIn person

 Zotero

Weds15/01/2515:30 – 17:00Introduction to ZoteroOnline
Tues28/01/2509:30 – 11:00Introduction to ZoteroOnline
Thurs13/02/2512:30 – 14:00Introduction to ZoteroOnline
Mon24/02/2515:30 – 17:00Introduction to ZoteroOnline
Fri14/03/2509:30 – 11:00Introduction to ZoteroOnline
     
Weds19/02/2513:30 – 16:30Referencing: ZoteroIn person
Thurs06/03/2514:30 – 16:00Referencing: ZoteroOnline

 Endnote

Weds22/01/2515:00 – 16:30Introduction to EndNoteOnline
Weds05/02/2510:00 – 11:30Introduction to EndNoteOnline
Thurs13/02/2515:30 – 17:00Introduction to EndNoteOnline
Fri28/02/2510:00 – 11:30Introduction to EndNoteOnline
     
Mon03/02/2509:30 – 12:30Referencing: EndNoteIn person
Thurs20/02/2514:30 – 16:30Referencing: EndNoteOnline

 Refworks

Thurs06/02/2510:30 –11:30Introduction to RefWorksOnline
Tues04/03/2513:00 – 14:00Introduction to RefWorksOnline
Weds19/03/2513:00 – 14:00Introduction to RefWorksOnline
     
Tues11/02/2514:30 – 16:30Referencing: RefWorksOnline

Open Scholarship

REF2029 briefings

Thurs06/02/2510:00 –11:00REF open access policy briefingOnline
Weds12/02/2515:00 – 16:00REF open access policy briefingOnline

 Fundamentals of open access

An introductory session which explains what open access, its key terms (Gold, Green, Article Processing Charges) and where to get help.

Tues14/01/2510:00 – 11:30Fundamentals of open accessOnline
Tues11/02/2510:00 – 11:30Fundamentals of open accessOnline
Mon03/03/2510:00 – 11:30Fundamentals of open accessOnline
Thurs10/04/2514:30 – 16:00Fundamentals of open accessOnline

Logistics of open scholarship

A follow-up session which covers depositing work, securing funding for publishing charges, registering an ORCID, funder policies.

Thurs23/01/2514:30 – 16:00Logistics of open scholarshipOnline
Thurs27/03/2510:00 – 11:30Logistics of open scholarshipOnline

Forum of open scholarship

A forum which discusses current changes in the field of open scholarship

Mon17/02/2514:00 – 15:00Forum of open scholarshipOnline

Open Access Monographs

Weds05/03/2510:30 – 11:30Open MonographsOnline

ORCIDs

ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) is a researcher-controlled persistent identifier that is being adopted by publishers, funders and other scholarly communications infrastructures. Learn how to set it up and use it.

Thurs06/03/2510:00 – 11:30ORCIDs from ScratchOnline

Copyright

Thurs06/02/2514:30 –16:00Foundations of Copyright for TeachingOnline
Thurs13/02/2510:00 – 11:30Playing in the open: Getting familiar with Creative Commons licencesIn person
Tues25/02/2515:00 – 16:00Your thesis, copyright & ORAOnline
Thurs27/02/2509:00 – 12:00Copyright the card gameIn person
Tues04/03/2510:00 – 11:30Foundations of Copyright for ResearchersOnline

AI and critical thinking

Weds05/02/2514:00 –16:30Using AI to find, analyse, and share information sourcesIn person
Mon03/03/2514:00 – 16:30Using AI to find, analyse, and share information sourcesIn person
Mon17/02/2510:00 – 12:00Unlocking critical thinking for undergraduatesOnline

If you have any queries at all regarding our workshops, or booking your place, please contact us at the Information Skills Office: usered@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

History of Writing

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Banner reading "History of Writing" in black text over a light grey background. In the background, there are illustrations in white depicting: a lighthouse with a wave next to it, a bouquet of violets, and a manor surrounded by blighted trees and framed by heather flowers and buds.

This January marks the birth month of many widely acclaimed writers, such as J.R.R. Tolkien, J.D. Salinger, Virginia Woolf, Anne Brontë, A. Milne, Edgar Alan Poe, Isaac Asimov and many more contemporary writers like Haruki Murakami. It is also the beginning of the 250th year since Jane Austen’s birth, which will be celebrated in December 2025.

To celebrate this, a display showcasing the history of writing has been prepared in the Radcliffe Camera. It will follow the broad history of writing as a medium of storytelling, from ancient times to the modern world as well as the print and publishing processes that go along with it. An e-book display, which can be accessed below by clicking on the book cover pictures, goes into more detail with the historical context of the writers mentioned above, as well as following the histories of writing outside of Europe.

These e-book resources can be accessed via SOLO, which will require an Oxford University SSO login. Alternatively, they can be used through a Bodleian reader account for external readers who can access the material by connecting to the Bodleian Libraries Wi-fi network or logging on to the reader PCs within the library.

Book cover for "Virginia Woolf in context" edited by Bryony Randall. Cover includes a sketch of Virginia Woolf in the background.
Version 1.0.0
Book cover for "Tolkien the medievalist" edited by Jane Chance. Cover depicts a medieval manuscript style ink illustration of a procession of people walking over a precarious bridge with dismembered bodies in the water below.
Book cover for "Routledge Handbook of Ancient, Classical and Late Classical Persian Literature" Photograph on cover depicts architecture with a dome and columns behind a canal.
Book cover for "J. D. Salinger's The catcher in the rye : a cultural history" by Josef Benson. Background depicts a photograph of carousel horses edited in red.
Book cover for "East of Delhi: Multilingual Literary Culture and World Literature" by Francesca Orsini. Gold text on a burgundy background.
Book cover for "Bleak houses : marital violence in Victorian fiction" by Lisa Surridge. Illustration depicts a sketch of a man holding a sword while throwing a newspaper at a woman on the floor in bandages.
Book cover of 'A history of Chinese literature' by Zhang Longxi, with an illustration of trees and mountains done in ink.
Book cover for "A Historical Guide to Edgar Allan Poe" edited by J. Gerald Kennedy. Depicts an illustration of a woman lying in a bed with flowers.
Banner reading "History of Writing" in black text over a light grey background. In the background, there are illustrations in white depicting: a raven on a branch with twigs and branches in the background and a dragon on a pile of sparkling treasure including goblets, crowns and jewels.

LGBTQ+ History Hackathon or…How to crowdsource almost 500 web resources!

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On the last Friday of November (29th Nov 2024), the LGBTQ+ History Hackathon was held at the History Faculty. Co-hosted by Faculty academics and the History Faculty Library, over 70 people (students, staff, and members of the public) participated, both in person and online. The aim of the event was to crowdsource resources for a new Oxford resource guide for LGBTQ+ history. It very much followed the model of the Disability History Hackathon, held two years ago, which was a great success and provided resources for the disability history LibGuide.

Opening remarks to participants ahead of event in History Faculty lecture theatre
Welcome to event in lecture theatre – Professor Martin Conway (Chair of the Board of the Faculty of History) and Isabel Holowaty (Deputy Head of Humanities Libraries and Bodleian History Librarian Research).

The event was opened in the Faculty lecture theatre by Prof. Martin Conway, Chair of the Faculty Board. After introductions, an outline of the scope of the proposed LibGuide, and a brief presentation on Bodleian Libraries Academic Library Services’ EDI activities by Helen Worrell, participants were shown useful advanced Google searching techniques by Rachel D’Arcy-Brown, History Librarian (Teaching). Participants then spread out across various rooms in the faculty, and began searching the internet to find relevant resources. In total, almost 500 resources were recommended, covering a wide range of topics and a variety of historical periods. These resources included journal articles, archives, and newspapers. This is a really fantastic result, representing a great effort on the part of all who got involved.

The event closed with a presentation of a snapshot of initial results by Zac Draysey, History Faculty Library Graduate Trainee, and final remarks and thanks by Prof. Matthew Cook, Jonathan Cooper Chair of the History of Sexuality.

The Hackathon provided a fun and inclusive way of amassing quality resources. It enables us to draw on the interests and expertise of a diverse group of people from Oxford but, thanks to technology, also from people across the UK and even North America. This will allow us to add a broad range of resources to the LibGuide.

The next steps will involve assessing and organising the recommended resources collected during the hackathon and create an easy-to-use guide, which places this wealth of high-quality information into a helpful context. This LibGuide will be accessible not only to University students and staff, but to anyone all over the world. In this spirit, the Hackathon focused on publicly available and open access material.

Our current plan is to launch a beta version of the LibGuide by June 2025, in time for pride month. Updates and further information will be posted here on the blog, as well on the Hackathon page itself.

Enormous thanks go to all participants for giving to freely their time and effort. Thanks also go to the History Faculty for hosting the event, sponsoring refreshments, and to their staff for supporting its organisation.

Zac Draysey, Bodleian Libraries Graduate Trainee (History Faculty Library) 2024-25