Category Archives: Announcements

ANNOUNCEMENT: Electric works (11th-14th DEC) and ALL DAY CLOSURE (15th DEC)

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Planned essential electric works will occur throughout the RAI building (including the Vere Harmsworth Library) throughout the 11th-14th December, culminating in an all day closure on Friday 15th December 2023. Readers are advised that there will be some noise disruption throughout the week, and some reader spaces, including the 1st Floor Group Study Rooms, will be off limits.

The work will begin on Monday 11th December, and will be focused on the Ground Floor on the western side of the building (past the PCAS machine). This area from the electric cabinet onwards will be closed off to readers. Access to the PCAS machine will be maintained. The Library has been advised that there will be drilling for around half an hour, and that this noise will affect the Ground Floor level. Readers are advised to move to the upper floors to avoid disturbance.

After works on the Ground Floor are completed, the electricians will move up the building, to the 2nd and 3rd Floors. This work will be focused in the Group Study Rooms and RAI Office space (former Breakout Room). This will reduce noise disruption in the main reading rooms, but some disturbance may be expected.

Earplugs are available at the Enquiry Desk for readers if necessary.

The 1st Floor Group Study Rooms will be unavailable throughout the week of 11th-15th December. The Godfrey Hodgson Room will be available throughout the 11th-14th December. Please check the Bodleian Libraries Group Study Rooms pages for alternative spaces.

The entire RAI building, including the VHL will be closed on Friday 15th December 2023. The Library aims to re-open on Monday 18th December, subject to completion of works. Please check the VHL webpage or Twitter account for regular updates. Any change to the plan of works above will be communicated as soon as possible.

We would like to thank our readers for their patience during these essential works.

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

New! Book the VHL group study spaces online

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[UPDATE: room bookings can now be made at least 1 hour in advance, rather than the previous 2 hours – December 2023]

The Vere Harmsworth Library will be trialling a new online room booking system, alongside the Social Science Library and Radcliffe Science Library. 

Current University members will be able to book slots in any of the three VHL Group Study Rooms (including the Godfrey Hodgson Room). Users will be able to book up to 10 hours per week up to 10 weeks in advance. You must place your booking at least 2 hours before your booking starts. [UPDATE: this timeframe has been adjusted to 1 hour in advance – December 2023]

Screenshot of new online booking system homepage

Users of the Group Study Rooms on the 1st Floor of the Library will still need to come to the Enquiry Desk to exchange their University Card for the key to the room.

Visit our online page to check availability and place your booking here.

Please note that readers with a Bodleian Readers Card will not be able to place an online booking and should email vhl@bodleian.ox.ac.uk if they are interested in booking a study room.

VHL Opening Hours

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Following the recent return of the Radcliffe Science Library to their new home in Reuben College, the Vere Harmsworth Library will be returning to our pre-RSL opening hours. We will revert to our term time hours for Michaelmas Term on the 2nd October 2023. 

The opening hours from 2nd October for Term time and Vacation times will be as follows:

Term

Monday-Friday – 9am-7pm

Saturday – 10am-4pm

Sunday – 11am-5pm

Christmas and Easter Vacation

Monday-Friday – 9am-7pm

Saturday – CLOSED

Sunday – CLOSED

Long Vacation

Monday-Friday 9am-5pm

Saturday – CLOSED

Sunday – CLOSED

Please check the Vere Harmsworth Library website for updates and upcoming closure periods. 

 

New: Women’s Studies Archive: Issues and Identities

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[Partially re-blogged from the History Faculty Library blog]

As we continue to grow our eresources collections on women’s history, we are pleased to announce that Oxford researchers now have access to Women’s Studies Archive: Issues and Identities.

Home page of the resource showing a search box and an image of a line of suffragettes holding a poster which reads "Mr Presidents, how long must women wait for liberty".

National Woman’s Party members picket outside the White House in 1917 with the message, “Mr. President, How long must women wait for Liberty” Source: Women of Protest: Photographs from the Records of the National Woman’s Party, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 12 © Gale Cengage

This collection traces the path of women’s issues in the 19th and 20th centuries, drawing on primary sources from manuscripts, newspapers, periodicals, and more. It captures the foundation of women’s movements, struggles and triumphs, and provides researchers with valuable insights. It focusses on the social, political, and professional achievements of women, the pioneers of women’s movements, and is useful to understand the issues that have affected women and the many contributions they have made to society.

It is, however, more generally also a useful resource to research WWI, WWII, social and economic conditions, and world events in the 20th century, as described and seen from women’s perspectives and revealed in periodicals, correspondence and papers.

Individual source collections of particular interest to US historians are:

  • Periodicals and newsletters from the Herstory Collection, tracing the women’s rights movement in the US and abroad; alongside primary source collections focused on women’s health/mental health and the law.
  • Manuscript records of key women involved in political movements, missionary work or American pioneer activities.
  • Records of the Committee of Fifteen (1900-1901), a private group based in New York who collected evidence of “vice” – prostitution and gambling- to spur local authorities into action and promote anti-vice legislation.
  • Records of the Women’s Trade Union League (WTUL) and its founders.
  • Records of political anti-war movements, such as the Woman’s Peace Party (1914-1920), the Women’s Peace Union (1921-1940) and the United States section of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) (1919-1959).
  • Files from two key grassroots feminist organisations based in Boston and San Francisco, which were part of the second-wave feminist movement.
  • Records from the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, including records from it’s predecessors (American Birth Control League and the Birth Control Clinical Research Bureau). Documents include minutes of meetings, conferences, subject files, correspondence and personal papers of key founders.

You can search across the above collections and other Gale databases via Gale Primary Sources. Please note that you will need to use your Single Sign On to access these resources.

Say hello to an improved SOLO (August 2023)

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Frontpage of SOLO showing the search box and at the top options to Browse, get help, do a new search.

[The following has been shamelessly borrowed and adapted from the original HFL blogpost. See their blogpost for guidance on using the new SOLO with Radcliffe Camera and Old Bodleian collections.]

Today (24 August 2023) we upgraded to a new library system. Most of the changes are ‘behind the scenes’ but we have also taken the opportunity to make some changes to some aspects of SOLO. For instance, we have made it easier for you to discover and locate physical copies of books and be able to tell whether you can borrow or consult a copy within a specific library.

Below are some key changes which are of interest to historians. See also the full list of changes and guidance on using SOLO (LibGuide).

[TIP = Please clear the cache in any web browsers you have previously used to access SOLO to ensure you are viewing the latest version.]

Easier to see all copies of a book held in the VHL

You will now see all copies listed under Vere Harmsworth Library where there are multiple copies of an item on the site.

A screenshot of the SOLO catalogue, showing that the VHL has two copies of the book Gilded by Deborah Davis.

This example shows that two copies of the same title are held in the VHL.

 

You will now need to sign into SOLO to see borrowing options 

If you are not signed into SOLO you will only see whether an item is available or not, rather than whether an item can be borrowed or for how long. It is always best to sign first as you get a better service from SOLO.

Once signed in you will now see loan periods personalised to you 

The terminology for loan policies has also been improved to make it clearer how long you can borrow the book for. (e.g. 7 days; 2 days etc). Please note that you can only borrow from libraries where you are a member, for example, the Bodleian Libraries and your college library.

Take the two copies of Gilded: how Newport became America’s richest resort by Deborah Davis (2009) shown in the example above If we click on each individual copy, we can see one title is a lending copy (Loanable) and one copy is not (Use in Library Only).

A screenshot of SOLO, the Library catalogue, showing that one VHL copy of Gilded by Deborah Davis, is available to borrow as a Vacation Loan.

An example of a loanable copy – in this example, available to borrow for the Vacation period.

A screenshot of SOLO, the Library catalogue, showing that one VHL copy of Gilded by Deborah Davis, has the status Use in Library Only.

The same title, but now showing a non-lending copy, with the status Use in Library Only.

 

Check for available copies before requesting from offsite 

To try to help you avoid reserving and waiting for a book out on loan when there are copies already available on library shelves for you to fetch immediately, we have added this additional message to SOLO:

Before requesting, check for 'item in place' copies - it will be quicker for you to fetch it from the shelf than to wait for a request

Auto-renewals 

Bodleian Libraries lending copies will auto renew for up to 112 days – unless somebody else places a hold. Find out more about the Bodleian Libraries’ borrowing policy.

Book already on loan? Place a hold request!

If you want to borrow a loanable Bodleian Libraries book (which another reader already has on loan) we recommend you place a hold request via SOLO.  If you don’t place a request, the book will continue to renew automatically for the original reader.  

If you have a book on loan, you will be notified via email if it has been requested.

Alternatively, look for another copy, including one which can be used in the library (Use in Library Only).

Request a VHL Stack item

You can also use the hold request to get books from the Vere Harmsworth Stack, including historical material and theses. You will receive a notification once the book has been moved to the VHL Staff Desk, and is available for you to consult. Note that you will need to read any Vere Harmsworth Stack titles in the Reading Room only.

A screenshot of SOLO, the Library catalogue, showing The tour of James Monroe, President of the United States, in the year 1817, by Samuel Putnam Waldo. The Location information shows the the item is from the VHL Stack. There is a Green Request Button and a Blue Scan and Deliver button.

A VHL book currently held in the VHL Stack – use the green Request button to place a hold on the title and read it in the Reading Room. Or, use the Blue Scan and Deliver button to place a Scan request.

More information how to use SOLO is at SOLO LibGuide.

LibraryScan streamlined with Scan & Deliver service 

The LibraryScan service has now been streamlined with the existing Scan & Deliver service (for items in offsite storage) into a new integrated service. If scanning is an option for any type of item you will now just see the ‘Scan & Deliver’ button.

The Scan & Deliver request form has been improved, particularly the wording on how much you can have scanned (not the whole book!) including advice that you can ask for the index or table of contents in addition to your final choice of chapter.

Requesting items from other libraries, beyond Oxford

If we do not hold an item in Oxford it is now really easy to request an item from other libraries, beyond Oxford. Simply click on ‘Need more?’ from the menu at the top of the page and fill in the form.

Help & support

If you need any help, please do get in touch with library staff who will be more than happy to help you. Here is how you can contact us:

Your feedback matters

We have undertaken extensive testing of the new version of SOLO, gathering feedback from 80 students using the system in real-world situations, and consulting widely on the borrowing changes (see link above). However, we recognise that not everything will be perfect from the start, and development will continue. We are using this feedback form to gather feedback on the changes to SOLO, which will help us make further improvements.

New Databases from Archives Unbound!

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I am pleased to report that the VHL has committed funding towards four new databases from the Archives Unbound collections from Gale.

These four collections are now available for all Bodleian readers to use, and can be found in SOLO or our Database A-Z. You can find out more about each collection below. Their topics range from the American Confederacy, religion, politics and African American movements in 1930s/40s America.

You can search across all the above databases via Gale Primary Sources. Please note that you will need to use your Single Sign On to access these resources.

Confederate Newspapers: A Collection from Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia and Alabama

This collection is a mixture of issues and papers from Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, and Alabama ranging from 1861-1865. These newspapers “recorded the real and true history of public opinion during the war. In their columns is to be found the only really correct and indicative ‘map of busy life, its fluctuations and its vast concerns’ in the South, during her days of darkness and of trial.” The newspapers are text-searchable, and include advertisements. Topics include everyday life in the Confederacy, as well as discussions of the Civil War and Slavery.

You can access this database directly here.

Election of 1948

This collection provides documents and the perspectives of the four base camps from the 1948 United States presidential election: Democrat incumbent President and eventual victor Harry S. Truman (1884–1972; U.S. President, 1945–1953), Republican and New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey (1902–1971), Progressive and former Vice President Henry A. Wallace (1888–1965) and Dixiecrat and South Carolina Governor J. Strom Thurmond (1902–2003). Sources include Papers of Harry S Truman, Thomas E. Dewey Papers, Papers of Americans for Democratic Action as well as selections from several southern newspapers. These sources show the political landscape of the United States post-WWII, and the growing tensions within the country.

You can access this database directly here.

Franklin D. Roosevelt and Race Relations, 1933-1945

This new series contains a collection of essential materials for the study of the early development of the Civil Rights Movement-concerned with the issues of Lynching, Segregation, Race riots, and Employment discrimination. FDR’s record on civil rights has been the subject of much controversy. This new collection from FDR’s Official File provides insight into his political style and presents an instructive example of how he balanced moral preference with political realities. Topics also include the migration of African Americans to northern states, the role of Eleanor Roosevelt in championing equal rights and racial justice, and reports on key individuals and organisations, such as the NAACP.

You can access this database directly here.

Global Missions and Theology

This collection documents the broad range of Nineteenth Century religious missionary activities, practices and thought in the United States by reproducing pivotal personal narratives, organizational records, and biographies of the essential leaders, simple missionaries, and churches. This collection includes materials on missionary activities among Native Americans and African Americans, both slaves and freedmen. In addition, it highlights activities in far-flung regions and countries, such as Africa, Fiji and Sandwich Islands, India, China, Southeast Asia, Japan, and Hawaii.

You can access this database directly here.

 

Celebrating Alain Locke: A new collection for the VHL

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In spring 2021, the VHL and RAI agreed to create the Alain Locke Collection with support from the Association of American Rhodes Scholars (AARS). Named after the first African American Rhodes Scholar, the collection aims to focus on research monographs in the areas of African American history, politics, biography and culture, alongside notable gaps in material not produced by commercial publishers.

The Bodleian is committed to providing students and researchers with world class access to resources to enable them to fulfil their scholarly ambitions. We are therefore hugely grateful to the AARS for pledging a gift of $25,000 over five years supporting the Alain Locke Collection. This supports our intention for the VHL to become a leading centre for the study of African American history, politics, and culture.

This ambitious vision the VHL will be achieved by enhancing our current collections through the focused and strategic purchase of African American research material, including valuable electronic database collections which will support students and researchers in their studies. Reflecting our commitment to maintain and promote our African American-based collection, this vision sits within the current strategic aims of the Bodleian Libraries and alongside the work of the RAI, whose mission is to promote ‘greater public and academic understanding of the history, culture and politics of the United States’.

About the Collection

The collection will be created through consulting bibliographies recommended by the Frederick Douglass Book Prize Board (Gilder Lehrman and Yale); recommendations by Professors Eddie Glaude at Princeton and Henry Louis Gates at Harvard; and gaps identified by the VHL Librarian.

The establishment of the Alain Locke Collection will allow the VHL to expand the purchase of African American focused research monographs, without affecting expenditure on other research areas. It will build on the VHL’s current holdings and run alongside the continued intake of research monographs via the legal deposit agreements and e-book packages. It will allow the VHL to identify and address potential gaps in some of the older materials. Most significantly, it will demonstrate our commitment to representing African American history and culture within our collections.

Front covers of 40 books from the Alain Locke Collection. A link is provided below with a full list of the titles.

You can see above a selection of some of the titles that have been selected for our first intake for the Alain Locke Collection. You can view the full list here. 

About the display area

Readers will be able to see the first selection for the Alain Locke Collection on the Ground Floor of the Library. This area, as part of our agreement with the AARS, will be dedicated to displaying and promoting the Collection. Alongside works by Locke, on display are items related to African American political history from our Philip and Rosamund Davies U.S. Elections Campaigns Archive. These items show the breadth of the Archive.

A photograph of the display area with Alain Locke Collection in place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you have any further questions about the Alain Locke Collection, or the display below, please contact Bethan Davies. To find out more about supporting the Vere Harmsworth Library and the Alain Locke collection please contact Jenny Haimes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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