We warmly welcome all new History undergraduates starting in Oxford!
Libraries will play a big part during your time at Oxford, whether providing access to online articles on your reading list or helping you find that elusive book on the open shelves. There are over 100 libraries in Oxford and it can be quite confusing (and daunting) as you learn how to best use the libraries.
Within Bodleian Libraries, the main History collections for your study are available online 24/7 or are located in the Radcliffe Camera (which includes the History Faculty Library). College Libraries also have extensive collections for your course. To know where your books, journals and databases are, use SOLO which is Oxford’s discovery tool for libraries.
We also have organised a number of welcome sessions to help you get started:
Webinars
Webinars are taking place Wednesday to Friday of 0th Week (4 – 6 October) and have been scheduled into your timetable with further details provided by your college. If you miss your slot, you are very welcome to join any of the timetabled sessions. Further details (and MS Teams link) are available via Welcome to Bodleian Libraries webinars: Library – Induction and Information Skills training (ox.ac.uk)
Tours
We are running in-person tours for the Radcliffe Camera too but we have a booking system to manage capacity so spaces are limited. You can book via the following link Radcliffe Camera (incl. History Faculty Library) and are also very welcome to just come along to the library, as staff will be more than happy to help you if you have any questions.
Online guidance
There is also History Faculty Library-tailored information on Canvas, including:
Help
The libraries are here to help you in your studies. If anything is not clear or you are struggling to finding or accessing your readings, please do get in touch with library staff. You can do so in a variety of ways:
- Live Chat – front page of SOLO
- General enquiries: reader.services@bodleian.ox.ac.uk
- History-related enquiries, including loans: library.history@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.
We wish you all the very best as you start a new chapter of your life in Oxford!
