Lower Camera
The Lower Camera Reading Room is the main undergraduate reading room of the central Bodleian for students studying Theology and English Literature. The reading room also contains the Bodleian open shelf collection of Film Studies material.
Location
Lower Camera Reading Room
Radcliffe Camera
Bodleian Library
Broad Street
Oxford OX1 3BG
We are situated on the ground floor of the Radcliffe Camera.
Enquiries and contact information
Supervisor: Verity Westgate
tel: 01865 (2)77204
email: reader.services@bodleian.ox.ac.uk
Please ask staff if you have any enquiries about open shelf material, the book service, or photocopying.
Please note that the full range of services is only offered from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, and that after 5pm on weekdays and at the weekend staff may refer particular enquiries to the Main Enquiry Desk, or to daytime staff.
The Library’s Main Enquiry Desk in the Lower Reading Room of the Old Library is staffed throughout opening hours, and staff there are happy to help with any queries, direct you to the most appropriate reading room for your studies, and assist with the use of the online catalogue SOLO and electronic resources available via OxLIP+. A range of guides on library services and facilities is also available from the Desk. To contact the Main Enquiry Desk or to ask a question, please use the Ask an Oxford Librarian page.
Subjects
English Literature
The open shelf collection in English Literature (shelved at SE), which is intended for undergraduate study, covers literature in English (with emphasis on critical material) from the Anglo-Saxon period onwards, from Britain and elsewhere, and includes material on the English language.
Recent issues of journals are shelved with the main run of each journal.
For more information, please see the English subject page.
Film Studies
A small collection of Film Studies books may be found in the centre of the room. For more information, please see the Film Studies subject page.
Theology
The Theology collection (S Th) Covers the western world including Byzantium from the Biblical period to date and is of use for both undergraduate and early postgraduate study.
Selected recent acquisitions of undergraduate materials from both the legal deposit intake (British and Irish materials) and, where relevant, from a wide range of foreign accessions, are displayed in the section New Theology Books located in the centre of the reading room.
Recent issues of journals are shelved with the main run of each journal. Current volumes of a number of Theology journals whose main runs are kept in the bookstack are held on a display adjacent to the Theology books.
Using the collections
All titles held in the Lower Camera are listed on SOLO, Oxford University's library catalogue. On SOLO, books and journals available on the open shelves will have the location Lower Camera Open Shelves, followed by a shelfmark such as SE.10 41.12 (English Literature), S Th G 29. 4 (Theology), or PN1993.5.A1FIL 2000 (Film Studies). A pink slip must be filled out and put in the place of any material removed from the shelves.
There is a reserve collection of books likely to be in heavy demand kept at the staff desk, identified on SOLO by the shelfmark suffix RES.
A file of annotated reading lists is on display in the reading room.
Mobile steps, kicksteps, and other items of height access equipment are available to help readers retrieve open shelf books from the higher shelves of bookcases. Before using equipment of this type, please make a visual check that it is not damaged or faulty. Please take care when using the equipment, and if it is unstable, let staff know straightaway, and then find another set of steps. When using sets of steps with hooved or cup feet, please take particular care not to knock the feet against bookcases or skirting boards, as this can distort them and make the steps unstable.
The floor in the bay just to the south east of the staff desk is uneven. The mobile steps available in this area have been found to be stable, but please take additional care when using them.
Book replacing
Book replacing is undertaken every weekday evening from 7.30pm in term, and from 5.30pm in vacation, continuing every weekday morning until approximately 9.15am. Book replacing is undertaken throughout the day on Saturdays and Sundays.
Stack request
To order books to the Lower Camera using SOLO, sign in to identify yourself to the system, choose the "hold" option and select the Lower Camera from the list offered. A maximum of 10 hold requests to the Lower Camera should be made at any one time. Pre-1851, large or heavy material, and special collections material may not be ordered to this room.
Facilities
Computer and laptop facilities
Computers are available for readers to consult SOLO, OxLIP+ databases, and internet resources of academic interest. All reader seats are equipped with power sockets and ethernet points, for connection to the internet, and wireless is available – for more information please consult the Using a laptop page.
Printing, scanning and photocopying
Printing, scanning and photocpying is available in the Lower Camera. Payment is made using a PCAS account, which readers must set up to take advantage of these services. The account can be credited using credit/debit cards online, or using the cash-loader in the Lower Reading Room of the Old Library.
Please present any items from which you wish to make photocopies to staff. Information on the PCAS system, full details of what can be copied and information about other copying services are given on the making a copy page.
Please note that photocopiers are turned off from 30 minutes before closing.
Closing routine
This commences half an hour before closure, when windows will be closed, and bookcase lights turned off. Reader computers will be turned off 15 minutes before closure. A bell will be rung 10 minutes before closure, which is the signal for readers to finish working and leave. The main lights will be turned off 5 minutes before closure. Please ensure that you take all your belongings with you when you leave the Library.
Please note that photocopiers are turned off and that staff-service photocopy orders are not accepted from 30 minutes before closing.
Fire exits and assembly point
The main fire exit is through the entrance door to the Lower Camera, and up the stairs to the entrance to the Camera. There is a wheelchair eveaculation route through the Lower Camera staff area. The assembly point is in Brasenose Lane. Readers must leave the building promptly when the fire alarm sounds or when instructed to by library staff.
