Category Archives: Opening hours

Winter Vacation opening hours and loans

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Please be aware of the following updates as we move into the Winter Vacation.

Opening Hours

From Monday 8th December 2025 to Sunday 11th January 2026, the Vere Harmsworth Library and the RAI Building will have the following opening hours:

Monday – Friday            9am – 7pm

Saturday – Sunday        CLOSED

The Library will close for Christmas at 5pm on Tuesday 23rd December, and reopen at 9am on Monday 5th January.

Please check the VHL website for updates and upcoming closure periods.

Vacation Loans

Vacation loans are now in place across the Bodleian Libraries. Books checked out will not need to be returned until Tuesday 20th January. You may return your book before that time if you wish.

Please note that vacation loans do not apply to self collect books, which will still need to be renewed every seven days. Furthermore, vacation loans only apply to some of the loanable books from offsite storage; others will be automatically renewed after their normal lending period (in most cases, seven days) unless requested by another reader. If in any doubt, please check your MySOLO account, and if you are still unsure then please contact vhl@bodleian.ox.ac.uk or whichever library you picked the book up from.

We hope you have a lovely break and enjoy the holiday season!

If you have any further questions about working in the Vere Harmsworth Library or borrowing items, please ask at the Information Desk, or email vhl@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

Long Vacation opening hours and loans

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Please be aware of the following updates as we move into the Long Vacation.

Opening Hours

From Monday 23rd June 2025, the Vere Harmsworth Library and the RAI Building will have the following opening hours:

Monday – Friday            9am – 5pm

Saturday – Sunday        CLOSED

Term-time opening hours will resume on Monday 6th October 2025.

Please check the VHL website for updates and upcoming closure periods.

Vacation Loans

Vacation loans are now in place across the Bodleian Libraries. Books checked out will not need to be returned until Tuesday 14th October. You may return your book before that time if you wish.

Please note that this does not apply to self-collect books, which will need to renewed every seven days as normal.

Leaving Oxford

If your time in Oxford is coming to an end this summer, please do remember to return any books on loan to you before you leave.

More information about things to remember and resources available to you if you are finishing your degree can be found on the Bodleian website.

We wish you all a wonderful summer!

Easter vacation opening hours and loans

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Please be aware of the following updates as we move into the Easter Vacation.

Opening Hours

From Monday 17th March 2025, the Vere Harmsworth Library and the RAI Building will have the following opening hours:

Monday – Friday            9am – 7pm

Saturday – Sunday        CLOSED

The Library will be closed on the bank holidays Friday 18th April and Monday 21st April. Normal term-time opening hours will resume on Tuesday 22nd April 2025.

Please check the VHL website for updates and upcoming closure periods.

Vacation Loans

Vacation loans are now in place across the Bodleian Libraries. Books checked out will not need to be returned until Tuesday 29th April. You may return your book before that time if you wish.

Please note that this does not apply to self-collect books, which will need to renewed every seven days as normal.

We wish you all an enjoyable break!

Library interior

Winter Vacation opening hours and loans

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Please be aware of the following updates as we move into the Winter Vacation.

Opening Hours

From 9th December 2024, the Vere Harmsworth Library and the RAI Building will have the following opening hours:

Monday – Friday            9am – 7pm

Saturday – Sunday        CLOSED

The Library will close for Christmas at 5pm on Friday 20th December, and reopen at 9am on Thursday 2nd January.

Please check the VHL website for updates and upcoming closure periods.

Vacation Loans

Vacation loans are now in place across the Bodleian Libraries. Books checked out will not need to be returned until Tuesday 21st January. You may return your book before that time if you wish.

Please note that this does not apply to self-collect books, which will need to renewed every seven days as normal.

We hope you have a lovely break and enjoy the holiday season!

The entrance to the VHL. A bookshelf is decorated with snowmen and trees and a screen displays vacation opening hours (see blog post).

If you have any further questions about working in the Vere Harmsworth Library or borrowing items, please ask at the Information Desk, or email vhl@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

Update: Early closure of library on 5th December 2024

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The VHL will be closing at 6pm on the Thursday of 8th Week (5th December, 2024). This means we will be closing one hour earlier than our usual Term hours.

This is because of a private event which will be held in the Rothermere American Institute (RAI) building.

Group Study Rooms will only be bookable on the online system up to 6pm.

Normal Term time opening hours will be in place for the rest of Week 8. We will then move into our Vacation opening hours on Monday 9th December (Week 9). Please check our website for further information on opening hours.

If you have any questions about using the library, please contact bethan.davies@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

Long Vacation: Opening Hours, Lending updates and more!

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Please be aware of the following updates as we move into the Long Vacation.

Opening Hours 

From the 17th June 2024, the VHL and the RAI Building, will have the following opening hours:

Monday – Friday            9am – 5pm

Saturday – Sunday        CLOSED

The Library will be closed on the August Bank Holiday (Monday 26th August). 

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

Returning Loans

If your University and Library borrowing membership is expiring during the Long Vacation, please return any library books that you still have on your account as soon as possible. If your University membership has been renewed for the next academic year, or is likely to be renewed, please contact us, as we may be able to renew your books.

If you have lost any library books, or will be unable to return the books by September 30th 2024, please contact us as soon as possible via email (vhl@bodleian.ox.ac.uk) or phone (+44 (0)1865 282700).

If you do not return your books, you may be fined for a replacement copy.

Vacation Loans

Vacation loans are now in place at the VHL. Books checked out after Monday 10th June will not need to be returned until Tuesday 15th October. You may return your book before that time if you wish.

We hope you have a lovely summer, and if you are leaving the University, we wish you all the very best in your future endeavours!

If you have any further questions about working in the Vere Harmsworth Library or borrowing items, please ask at the Information Desk, or email vhl@bodleian.ox.ac.uk. If you have lost one of your VHL books, email Bethan Davies, VHL Librarian at bethan.davies@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

VHL Opening Hours – Christmas Vacation

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From Monday 4th December, the VHL will be operating under Vacation opening hours, which are as follows:

Monday-Friday – 9am-7pm

Saturday – CLOSED

Sunday – CLOSED

The Library will close at 5pm on Wednesday 20th December and will remain closed for the Christmas Holidays until January 2nd, 2024, when we will re-open at 9am.

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

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. 

 

Planned half day closure for RAI roof works: Thursday 25th August 2022 (morning)

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The Vere Harmsworth Library will be closed on the morning of Thursday 25th August 2022, with an expected re-opening time of 1pm. 

As part of the ongoing essential RAI roof works, scaffolding will need to be installed above the entrance of the RAI foyer, from which readers enter the VHL library. The construction workers and Estates have informed the Vere Harmsworth Librarian that the building entrance would need to be temporarily closed off, to allow for the scaffolding to be safely installed.

Once in place, readers can resume accessing the building via the foyer entrance, under the installed scaffolding. Entry into the building will be signposted.

After careful consideration of the above information, and of alternative methods of entry into the library, the Vere Harmsworth Librarian has agreed to close the library for the morning of Thursday 25th August, 2022, to ensure that the essential work can be completed as swiftly and safely as possible.

The library will re-open from 1pm-7pm, subject to completion of the works. The Librarian will aim to update Readers on the progress of the works as soon as possible. The afternoon book deliveries are planned to go ahead as normal, again, subject to the completion of the works.

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 any disruption or inconvenience caused to Readers at this time.

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.

Announcement: VHL closure on April 30th, 2021 (morning only)

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The Vere Harmsworth Library (VHL) will be closed for the morning of April 30th, 2021, due to essential electrical works across the Rothermere American Institute (RAI) building.

The VHL expects to re-open from 1:30pm, for the beginning of the afternoon study sessions (1:30pm – 5:00pm), and remain open until the end of the evening sessions (5:30pm-9:00pm). We will aim to update readers of any changes to these plans as soon as possible via our Twitter account.

VHL study spaces and Browse and Borrow slots for the morning of April 30th have been removed on SpaceFinder, alongside collection slots for RSL and VHL material via Click and Collect. Readers wishing to return their books in the morning may use the Returns hubs based around Oxford.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused. If you have any questions about the expected closure, please email vhl@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.