Access to other libraries

The Bodleian Library is the main research library of the University of Oxford. 

It is also a copyright deposit library, which means that a copy of all British publications should be deposited in its collections by the publisher under copyright law. The Bodleian Libraries Group includes, amongst many others, the (central) Bodleian Library, Radcliffe Science Library, Sackler Library and the Bodleian Social Science Library.

Use SOLO - the catalogue of the major collections of the University of Oxford - to find out what is available.

For more information about the Bodleian Library visit their webpages.

How to apply for a Bodleian Reader card 

Research students and staff: apply in person at the Bodleian Admissions Office for a Reader card.  The application form and guidance on the ID documents you need to provide can be found here: Apply for a Bodleian Reader card. 

Final year undergraduate, second year dissertation students and all taught postgraduate students: please follow this procedure:

• Download and complete the application form.
• You should complete Section A clearly and in full.
• Section B must be completed in full by a member of Brookes teaching staff (normally your dissertation supervisor); please note this section may not be typewritten but must be in the member of staff's handwriting.
• Bring the completed form to the Help Zone in the Library.  The staff at the Help Zone will check your form and your library record (make sure you don’t have any outstanding fines) and will complete section C.  They will then retain your form for countersigning by a senior member of Library staff.  
• Once that has been done you will be able to collect your form - please note we aim to have your form ready for collection by 11am the following weekday, but this may take longer on occasion.  

You can take the form and required ID to the Bodleian Admissions Office (opening hours and location are on the webpage).

Other undergraduate students: may only apply for vacation access.

Staff and students may apply for a British Library Reader pass. Further information is available from the British Library.

The reading rooms are now fully re-opened - for details see https://www.bl.uk/visit/keeping-everyone-safe

The SCONUL Access Scheme is a reciprocal scheme which allows many university library users to borrow or use books and journals at other libraries which belong to the scheme. The scheme covers most of the university libraries in the UK and Ireland.  Check whether the university library you wish to use is part of the scheme and apply to use on the SCONUL Access webpages.

Access25 is the M25 Consortium of Academic Libraries' scheme which allows mutual access to more than 50 libraries in London and south east England. Brookes postgraduate research students and staff are eligible to join the scheme. Other Brookes students are recommended to use the SCONUL Access Scheme instead.

The Oxfordshire History Centre, run by Oxfordshire County Council, looks after historic documents relating to the county from about 1150 to the present day. It is located at St Luke's Church, Temple Road, Cowley. If you wish to look at original records, you will need to register for a County Archive Research Network (CARN) ticket.

Most university websites include a link to their library catalogue, or these services may be helpful:

• SOLO - the catalogue of the major collections of the University of Oxford.
• British Library Main Catalogue
• Library Hub Discover search provides a means of searching the Library catalogues of more than 100 major UK and Irish libraries, including the British Library, many university libraries and specialist research libraries.
• LibrarySearch can search more than 10,000 worldwide libraries if you choose to search beyond Oxford Brookes or explore deeper into the lists of all editions and formats.
• MASC25 (Mapping Access to Special Collections in the London Region) is an online resource guide to printed special collections in some university libraries in the M25 Consortium.