Category Archives: Library News

Green Libraries Week: 27 October – 2 November 2025

This week marks Green Libraries Week, an event organised by CILIP to celebrate and promote sustainability initiatives in libraries across the UK. The Sainsbury Library is taking part with a new interactive display.

Our display features ‘feedback trees’ made from scrap cardboard, inviting students to pin leaves sharing their sustainability messages, requests, and goals for the library. Alongside this, we’ve curated a book display highlighting resources on climate change, environmental action, and sustainable business practices.

All featured materials can be accessed via the links below (Oxford SSO required) or by visiting the display in the Lower Reading Room. For further resources, explore our GOTO: Climate Action LibGuide.


Sustainable Business and Management
Net Positive : How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take
Runaway climate change and rampant inequality threaten humanity and are costing a fortune. Net Positive demonstrates how business can help lead us to a better future.
The Green Bundle: Pairing the Market With the Planet
Combining insights from sustainable business and behavioural economics, Delmas and Colgan show managers how to lead buyers from information to action. If you are looking to win over the convenient consumer or understand how companies can create the next tipping point in green consumption, this is the research-based, practical guide for you.
The Responsible Business: Reimagining Sustainability and Success
“The Responsible Business” outlines a framework for building a responsibility and consciousness infrastructure that applies a living systems view to the business and inspires all of its stakeholders, including shareholders.

Economics and Public Action
Heat: How to Stop the Planet Burning
We know that climate change is happening. We know that it could, if the worst predictions come true, destroy the conditions which make human life possible. Only one question is now worth asking: can it be stopped?
Don’t Even Think About it: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Ignore Climate Change
From the founder of the Climate Outreach and Information Network, a groundbreaking take on the most urgent question of our time: Why, despite overwhelming scientific evidence, do we still ignore climate change?
Saving the Planet Without the Bullshit: What They Don’t Tell You About the Climate Crisis
In this provocative manifesto, Assaad Razzouk shows that for too long our ideas about what’s best for the environment have been unfocused and distracted, trying to go in too many directions and concentrating on individual behaviour. While some of these things can be useful, they are dwarfed by one big thing that simply has to happen very soon if we’re to avoid major environmental breakdown: curtailing the activities of the fossil fuel industry.
What We Need to Do Now
Embracing Britain’s promise to become carbon neutral by 2050, Chris Goodall makes a pivotal practical plan for achieving widespread change in this engaging and inspiring volume.

Guides, Plans, and Personal Climate Action
What Can we do by Friday?: The Practical Guide to Personal Climate Action
“What Can We Do by Friday?” is written to tackle one of the most urgent crises of our time: climate change. It’s not a theoretical or academic discourse; it’s a call to action. This book breaks down the complexities of the climate crisis into simple, actionable steps that individuals and business leaders can take immediately to make a meaningful difference.
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and The Breakthroughs We Need
In this urgent, authoritative book, Bill Gates sets out a wide-ranging, practical and accessible – plan for how the world can get to zero greenhouse gas emissions in time to avoid a climate catastrophe.

For more resources, see our posts about other recent book displays.

Library Launchpad (staff induction)

Wed 5 Nov 2025, 15:30–16:30
Seminar Room 10 → Sainsbury Library
Presentation + library tour and Q&A

A termly library induction session for staff members to discover what the Sainsbury Library and the Bodleian Libraries offer, how to find and access resources, and how we can support you and your students.

The session will enable participants to Search and access various types of materials and resources offered through the Sainsbury Library and the Bodleian Libraries network for work, professional development and leisure.

  • Understand support we offer to students and staff members and how you can make most of our collections, resources and services.
  • Hear how we collaborate with departments – and tell us what further support you and your students need.
  • Format: Presentation, library tour, Q&A
  • Drop-in: Attend the presentation (at 15:30, Seminar room 10, PES), the tour (at 16:15, the Sainsbury library), or both. No booking needed, just turn up.
  • Who: All staff welcome
  • Contact: library@sbs.ox.ac.uk

Understanding Artificial Intelligence


‘Can machines think?’

When Alan Turing posed this question in 1950, Artificial Intelligence was a thought experiment. Today, it’s writing our emails, moulding our search results, and occupying the centre of debates worldwide. Perhaps a more pressing question now is: Can we keep up?

Whether you are curious, sceptical, or just overwhelmed by the buzz, the Sainsbury Library invites you to consider the practical applications and unexpected consequences of AI in our new display: ‘Understanding Artificial Intelligence’.

All featured materials can be accessed via the links below (Oxford SSO required) or in person at our display in the Lower Reading Room. To explore further, visit our Business of AI LibGuide.


Video Resources

The AI Pocketbook: Video Edition
“Everything you need to know about AI to survive–and thrive–as an engineer. If you’re worried about your tech career going obsolete in a world of super-powered AI, never fear. The AI Pocket Book crams everything engineers need to know about AI into one short volume you can fit into your pocket”

Artificial You: AI and the Future of Your Mind
“Given the rapid pace of progress in AI, many predict that it could advance to human-level intelligence within the next several decades. From there, it could quickly outpace human intelligence. What do these developments mean for the future of the mind?”

The Role of AI in Business Development
“Mariusz Soltanifar, a researcher in corporate entrepreneurship and marketing lecturer at the Hanze International Business School in Groningen in the Netherlands, uses the Alexa Artificial Intelligence platform as an example to explore both artificial intelligence and the market for it”

Audio Resources

The AI-Savvy Leader: 9 Ways to Take Back Control and Make AI Work
“This book helps leaders retake control of the wildly rapid deployment of AI across organizations. It outlines cleanly and concisely nine actions leaders need to take to successfully steward a transition to a more AI-centric future that will lead to growth for all-companies and workers-and avoid the kinds of mistakes that author David De Cremer has seen many early adopters already make”

How to Think About AI: A Guide for the Perplexed
“In How to Think About AI, Richard Susskind draws on his experience of working on AI since the early 1980s. For Susskind, balancing the benefits and threats of artificial intelligence is the defining challenge of our age. He explores the history of AI and possible scenarios for its future”*

eBooks

Prediction Machines: The Simple Economics of Artificial Intelligence
“The idea of artificial intelligence–job-killing robots, self-driving cars, and self-managing organizations–captures the imagination, evoking a combination of wonder and dread for those of us who will have to deal with the consequences. But what if it’s not quite so complicated?”

The AI Ladder
“AI may be the greatest opportunity of our time, with the potential to add nearly $16 trillion to the global economy over the next decade. But so far, adoption has been much slower than anticipated, or so headlines may lead you to believe. With this practical guide, business leaders will discover where they are in their AI journey and learn the steps necessary to successfully scale AI throughout their organization”

Print Books

A Brief History of Artificial Intelligence
“From Oxford’s leading AI researcher comes a fun and accessible tour through the history and future of one of the most cutting edge and misunderstood field in science: Artificial Intelligence”

Co-Intelligence: Living and Working With AI
“Professor Ethan Mollick has become one of the most prominent and provocative explainers of AI, focusing on the practical aspects of how these new tools for thought can transform our world. In Co-Intelligence, he urges us to engage with AI as co-worker, co-teacher and coach”

The Coming Wave: AI, Power, and the 21st Century’s Greatest Dilemma
“As cofounder of DeepMind, the pioneering AI company now owned by Google, Mustafa Suleyman has witnessed firsthand just how rapidly our technology is advancing-and how flawed our approaches to grappling with these changes are. The coming decades, he argues, will be defined by a burst of innovation, an inevitable wave of powerful, fast-proliferating new technologies across fields like synthetic biology, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing”

Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right With Our AI Future
Superagency offers a roadmap for using AI inclusively and adaptively to improve our lives and create positive change. While acknowledging challenges like disinformation and potential job changes, the book focuses on AI’s immense potential to increase individual agency and create better outcomes for society as a whole”


For more resources, see our posts about other recent book displays.

The Wellbeing Collection book display in the Sainsbury Library.

New in at Sainsbury Library: Wellbeing Collection

The importance of mental wellbeing in both our personal and work lives are being increasingly recognised. Following the inclusion of the Science of Wellbeing module to Said’s MBA course, this opened the perfect opportunity for the expansion of our collection here in the Sainsbury Library.

We now have a both a loanable collection of physical books and a selection of eBooks available. Some of the topics include: self-help, psychology, workplace wellbeing, management, and neurodiversity.


Workplace Wellbeing

Why workplace wellbeing matters: the science behind employee happiness and organizational performance – Jan-Emmanuel De Neve and George Ward
“In Why Workplace Wellbeing Matters, the authors clarify what workplace wellbeing is (and is not) and offer a framework for how businesses can approach and improve it…Their research demonstrates that improving wellbeing can boost productivity, aid in talent retention and recruitment, and ultimately improve financial performance.”

HBR Guide to Better Mental Health at Work – Harvard Business Review Press
“The HBR Guide to Better Mental Health at Work contains practical tips and advice to help you bring mental health out of the shadows and into everyday conversations.”

Wellbeing: Science and Policy – Richard Layard and Jan-Emmanuel De Neve
“Written by two of the world’s leading experts on the economics of wellbeing, this book shows how wellbeing can be measured, what causes it, and how it can be improved.”


Business Management and Leadership

Mindset – Carol Dweck
Mindset reveals what all great parents, teachers, CEOs, and athletes already know: how a simple idea about the brain can create a love of learning and a resilience that is the basis of great accomplishment in every area.”

Surrounded by bad bosses and lazy employees: or, how to deal with idiots at work – Thomas Erikson
“Drawing on the simple four-colour system that made Surrounded by Idiots… Erikson shows how understanding your boss’ behavioural tendencies, as well as your own, will lead to a more harmonious and productive workplace. He also sets out what characterises an exemplary leader type and how you can adapt your behaviour to model it.”

Slow productivity: the lost art of accomplishment without burnout – Cal Newport
“Hustle culture. Burnout. Quiet quitting. Today we’re either sacrificing ourselves on the altar of success or we’re rejecting the idea of ambition entirely. But it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. There is a way to create meaningful work as part of a balanced life, and it’s called ‘slow productivity’.”

HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Mental Toughness – Harvard Business Review
“This book will inspire you to: thrive on pressure like an Olympic athlete; manage and overcome negative emotions by acknowledging them; plan short-term goals to achieve long-term aspirations; surround yourself with the people who will push you the hardest; use challenges to become a better leader; use creativity to move past trauma; and understand the tools your mind uses to recover from setbacks.”


Personal Development

Atomic Habits: an easy & proven way to build good habits & break bad ones : tiny changes, remarkable results – James Clear
“People think that when you want to change your life, you need to think big. But world-renowned habits expert James Clear has discovered another way. He knows that real change comes from the compound effect of hundreds of small decisions…He calls them atomic habits.”

The organized mind: thinking straight in the age of information overload – Daniel J. Levitin
“Modern society is in a state of information overload. Neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin investigates how and why our brains are struggling to keep up with the demands of the digital age…In a world where information is power, The Organized Mind holds the key to harnessing that information and making it work for you.”

Surrounded by Idiots: the four types of human behavior and how to effectively communicate with each in business (and in life) – Thomas Erikson
Erikson reveals “his simple yet ground-breaking method for assessing everyone we communicate with based on four personality types: Red, Blue, Green and Yellow. From body language to conflict handling, this entertaining read will give you all the tools you need to understand and influence those around you – in and out of the office – and ensure the idiot out there isn’t you!”

The motherhood penalty: how to stop motherhood being the kiss of death for your career – Joeli Brearley
The Motherhood Penalty is an expose of the unscrupulous work practices and antiquated systems that we’ve been conditioned to accept and a toolkit for how to challenge them. It’s full of practical advice to help you navigate systemic barriers when they slap you in the face.”

I Didn’t Do the Thing Today – Madeleine Dore
“After five years of searching for the secret to productivity, Madeleine Dore discovered there isn’t one-instead, we’re being set up to fail. I Didn’t Do the Thing Today is an inspiring call to take productivity off its pedestal, to embrace the joyful messiness and unpredictability of life.”


Stress Management

50 Ways to Manage Stress – Stella Cottrell
“This practical book will inspire and encourage students to shape new habits and make stress-management a natural part of their everyday routine…throughout, it encourages students to take charge of their wellbeing and strike a healthy study-life balance.”

Stress control – Jim White
“This accessible, jargon-free book combines clinically proven methods from cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), positive psychology and mindfulness to give you the tools you need to improve your mind, your body and your life.”

Addicted to Anxiety – Owen O’Kane
Addicted to Anxiety will help you understand your anxiety from the perspective of addiction, identifying your triggers and learning how to break your habits so you can actively replace them with new, more productive behaviours for a calmer, happier life.”


eBooks

We also have a wide range of eBooks available – below are some of our new acquisitions. For more titles, visit our Annexe room in the library to see our display of eBooks, linking to access through SOLO.

Lost connections why you’re depressed and how to find hope – Johann Hari
“Depression and anxiety are now at epidemic levels. Why? Across the world, scientists have uncovered evidence for nine different causes. Some are in our biology, but most are in the way we are living today. Lost Connections…shows that once we understand the real causes, we can turn to pioneering new solutions – ones that offer real hope.”

Succeeding with adult ADHD: daily strategies to help you achieve your goals and manage your life – Abigail Levrini and Frances Prevatt
“With her extensive experience researching and treating adults with ADHD, Levrini provides user‑friendly strategies for setting meaningful and realistic goals, developing a plan to achieve the goals, and staying on track while following the plan.”

Be well, learn well: improve your wellbeing and academic performance – Gareth Hughes.
“Gareth Hughes explores the different dimensions of student wellbeing (physical, psychological, social and academic) and helps students understand the connection between their wellbeing and academic performance.”


Beyond these books we also have multiple puzzles and origami available in the library to have a mindful break from your busy workdays.

We continue to have a recommendations box in the library – come along and give us your wellbeing and pleasure book recommendations!


For more resources, see our posts about other recent book displays.

Image of noise cancelling headphones in the library. AI generated.

IT Loans

Need IT accessories? Borrow them from the Library!

Did you forget your laptop charger? Need an adaptor for a monitor? Want to focus with noise-cancelling headphones? The Sainsbury Library has you covered! We offer a range of IT loan items that can be borrowed from the Enquiry Desk to help you stay productive while you’re in the library.

What’s Available?

Adaptors & Cables

  • AV Adaptors: USB-C to Digital AV, HDMI to DVI-D, USB-C to HDMI
  • Cables: Lightning to USB, USB to USB-C, Micro USB, HDMI cables (8K) in 3ft and 6ft lengths
  • Travel Adaptors: International and EU to UK travel adaptors

Laptop Chargers

  • MacBook Chargers: USB-C (29W, 70W), Magsafe 2 (85W)
  • Universal USB-C Laptop Charger: 100W charger for multiple Windows laptops including HP, Dell, Lenovo, and more

Mac Accessories

  • Apple Magic Keyboard & Mouse

New Addition: Noise-Cancelling Headphones!

We’re excited to announce the addition of the Soundcore Q20i Noise Cancelling Headphones to our loans! These comfortable, high-quality headphones will help block out distractions so you can focus on studying, reading, or working on assignments. You can also install the Soundcore app on your device and access a range of background sounds to further minimise distractions.

How to Borrow IT Equipment

  • All items are available for loan from the Enquiry Desk on a short-term basis while you are in the library.
  • Simply ask a staff member for the item you need, and they will sign it out to you using your University/Bodleian card.
  • Please return items promptly so others can use them too!

If you have any questions or need assistance, don’t hesitate to ask. We’re here to help!

How to use the library in 5 steps

The Sainsbury Library has created a 5-step guide to help you navigate and use our services and resources with confidence. This guide provides essential information for making the most of the Sainsbury Library and beyond, including helpful links for further information. Our library staff is always available to answer questions and provide support. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Step 1. Find a library

The Sainsbury Library, located within Saïd Business School, is the University’s dedicated Business and Management library. As part of the Bodleian Libraries, the Sainsbury Library is within a network of 26 libraries across Oxford. Being a member of the University of Oxford will give you access to all 26 libraries, and you can find a library on the Bodleian’s Find a library page by filtering facilities, accessibility and opening hours.

The main reading room of the Sainsbury Library spans the first and second floors of the Park End site building and is accessible to all students and staff.

While the library maintains core staffed opening hours (Vacation Monday – Friday: 9am – 5pm; Term time Monday – Friday: 9am – 7pm), Saïd Business School members can use it whenever the building is open. More information can be found on our library website.

The Lower Reading Room offers a variety of seating areas, while the Upper Reading Room is reserved for silent study. Altogether, the library provides just under 200 seats, including computers and docking stations across both floors.

Step 2. Find a book

Search Oxford Libraries Online (SOLO) is the online catalogue for Oxford University’s libraries, including the Bodleian Libraries and most college and faculty libraries. It is essential for searching and accessing physical books, ebooks and journal articles.

You need to use your SSO to login to SOLO. You can find some essential information on the Bodleian’s SOLO webpage.

To learn how to search and use SOLO, you can visit the subject guide for SOLO.

The Sainsbury Library houses over 12,000 print books on-site, including some textbooks and books on your reading lists. If you would like to search physical books at the Sainsbury Library, using the advanced search function, you can refine “Search Profile” to “Sainsbury Library” and select “Material Types” as “Books”.

Screenshot of the SOLO search interface.

Once you find the book to borrow, you need to check if it’s “Available” and note down the “Collection” and “Shelfmark”, which are two pieces of important information to help you locate the book in the Sainsbury Library.

LOCATIONS Sainsbury Library Available, Egrove Park (Kennington) = Collection: Egrove Park HD38.7 BRA 2019 Science, technology & business = Shelfmark: HD38.7 BRA 2019, Science, technology & business Sainsbury Library Available, Lower Reading Room = Collection: Lower Reading Room HD38.7 BRA 2019 = Shelfmark: HD38.7 BRA 2019 LOCATIONS Sainsbury Library, Available, Annexe = Collection: Annexe HD62.4 CAV 2002 = Shelfmark: HD62.4 CAV 2002 LOCATIONS Sainsbury Library, Available, Stack = Collection: Stack HD69.P75 MAY 1999 = Shelfmark: HD69.P75 May 1999
“Collection” = the location in the library. Lower Reading Room = Lower floor, Sainsbury Library Reading Room. Annexe = Lower floor-Annexe, Sainsbury Library Reading Room. Stack = Upper floor, Sainsbury Library Reading Room. Egrove Park (Kennington) = The Sainsbury Library's Egrove Park site in Kennington: to borrow books from Egrove Park (Kennington), please contact library@sbs.ox.ac.uk or refer to the signage in the library at Egrove Park.

Understand the sequence of shelfmarks

HD69 Class Number Alphabetical then Numerical order
Shelfmark = .P75 Cutter number Alphabetical then Numerical order
May The first three letters of the author’s name, or sometimes the title Alphabetical order
1999 Publication year Chronological order
  • The range of Class numbers has been marked in the library, adjacent to the shelves.
  • To locate a book, use the Class number by first referring to the letters, followed by the numbers
  • Then use additional Cutter numbers and/ or other item-specific information.

Step 3. Borrow a Book

Your borrowing allowance depends on the programme you are studying. The loan policy currently applies to all Bodleian libraries. Please refer to the Borrowing Policy.

Collections at the Sainsbury Library can usually be borrowed for 7 days for undergraduates and taught postgraduates, or 28 days for research graduates and staff members.

All loans, except “Same Day Loans”, have a maximum renewal period of 112 days (16 weeks) from the date of the original loan.

Items you have borrowed will be automatically renewed where possible, usually 1–2 days before the due date. An item reserved by another reader will not be automatically renewed.

At Park End Street, you can borrow books using the self-issue machine on the lower floor or bring them to the library enquiry desk.

Step 4. Access an ebook

You can find ebooks on SOLO or on subscribed ebook platforms after logging in with SSO. Access to ebooks varies according to the type of ebook, its licence, and the library membership of the user.

You can either download the whole ebook or chapters (with or without a loan period or Digital right management license).  If the item is licensed through “Digital rights management,” you would need to download Adobe Digital Editions (free App). You can register an account via the Adobe website.

More information can be found on ebook guide.

Step 5. Access and use business e-resources and databases

Information for databases can be found on the Business study subject guide. The guide gives you an overview of different types of resources including ejournals and databases, how to access or set up an account, and terms and conditions.

We have one Bloomberg workstation in the Sainsbury Library, and you need to book a slot to use the Bloomberg workstation.

New students from MBA, MFE, MLF and DPhils will be registered for a Capital IQ account at the beginning of the academic year, login details from S&P Capital IQ will be sent to your email.

If you are a new student at Saïd Business School and need to set up a Pitchbook Login, you can create an account following the link. To register students must use their @said.oxford.edu account, and faculty must use their @sbs.ox.ac.uk account.

Would like to know more!

If you would like to know more about how to use our services and resources, please look out for upcoming workshops and induction sessions. They will soon be announced on our training guide.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions! You can reach out to us in the library or via email library@sbs.ox.ac.uk .

Welcome to the Sainsbury Library!

Seven Fun Things to Do in the Library 

Seven Fun Things to Do in the Library 

The Sainsbury Library is more than just a place for books and academic resources, it’s a social place where you can recharge, make connections, and take a break from the intensity of your studies. As the new academic year begins, here are seven fun ways to relax and refresh in the library:

Seven Fun Things to Do in the Library 1. Sink into a Bean Bag for a Quick Nap – Recharge your brain with a cosy, quiet nap. Blankets and earplugs are available next to the enquiry desk. 2. Get Creative with Jigsaw Puzzles and Colouring – Relax your mind with some stress-free fun. 3. Design and Print Cool Posters for Your Society or to Decorate Your Room. Printing facilities are available in the library. 4. Read for Pleasure – Escape into a book that’s not on your reading list. You can request books from Bodleian Storage facilities delivered here. 5. Challenge Your Brain – Try out Wordle on the brand-new Macs (if you are feeling smart give the Connections and the Mini Crossword a go)! 6. Find a Study Buddy – Collaborate, brainstorm, or just keep each other motivated. 7. Chat with Our Friendly Library Staff – Stop by the enquiry desk and say hi; we’re always happy to help or just chat!

We hope you will find the Sainsbury Library a warm, welcoming, and energizing space that supports you throughout your exciting year ahead!

How to use the library in 5 steps

The words "LIBRARY DROP-IN" displayed on a neon sign.

Library 1:1 Sessions

Feeling overwhelmed by the task of navigating SOLO to find books and journal articles, or exploring multiple business and management related databases and eresources?

You now have the option to book a personalised consultation session with one of our experienced librarians at the Sainsbury Library, either online or in person. This tailored session will provide you with the guidance and support your need to streamline your search and make the most out of the available resources. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

  • Session: Selecting business databases for your research:
    Contact: Hal Kirkwood, Bodleian Business Librarian: hal.kirkwood@sbs.ox.ac.uk
  • Session: Help with using and searching the business databases:
    Contact: Heidi Smithson, Senior Information Librarian: heidi.smithson@sbs.ox.ac.uk
  • Session: How to make the most of resources and services at the Bodleian Libraries via SOLO:
    Contact: Cui Cui, Circulation and Customer Services Librarian: cui.cui@sbs.ox.ac.uk

Recommend a book

If a book or other resource you need is not held by the Sainsbury Library or the Bodleian Libraries, we are happy to try to source or purchase this for you. We accept recommendations from students and staff. Before submitting a request, check SOLO to make sure the resource is not already available in Oxford.

The Bodleian Libraries also welcome suggestions for books and other resources to be purchased. When completing the form, please provide as much detail as possible about the resource you are recommending. Your request will be passed on to the relevant subject librarian for consideration, and you will be notified of the outcome.

Suggest a Database or Data Set

Do let us know if there’s a resource that we don’t currently offer that you’d like to use in your studies or research. The Sainsbury Library team will then look into providing the database, or we might be able to suggest an alternative from our current offering of databases that has the same data.

Even if we cannot immediately offer the resource, all feedback and requests are helpful and can assist us in identifying new databases in the long term. Some recent database acquisitions are due to requests from staff and students, so get in touch with your suggestions!