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Home  »   Subjects & Reading Rooms  »  Reading Rooms  »  Special Collections Reading Room at RSL

Special Collections Reading Room at RSL

The Special Collections Reading Room (SCRR) is the research reading room in which medieval and modern western manuscripts, oriental manuscripts and rare books are consulted.

The reading room has 44 seats available to readers. To avoid disappointment we strongly recommend that you book a seat in advance, advising us of the collection(s) you wish to consult.

• Booking a place in advance
You can do so by telephone, email or in person during our daytime opening hours Monday – Friday 9am-5pm.

Please note that you should contact us at least 48 hours before your intended visit!

• Ordering material in advance
You may order up to ten items per day by email, telephone or in person.

Special Collections printed items  and other books can be ordered remotely on SOLO with your Bodleian Library reader's card. (Your reader's card and/or Single Sign-On username and password give you access to SOLO.)

Please note that our manuscripts are not catalogued on SOLO and that you need to order them by email, telephone or in person by filling in the green order forms in the reading room.

To book a seat or order material, please contact:
Email: scrr@bodleian.ox.ac.uk
Telephone: 01865-277046

Location

Bodleian Library Special Collections Reading Room
Radcliffe Science Library
Parks Road
Oxford
OX1 3QP
United Kingdom
Telephone: 01865-277046
Enquiries: enquiries.sc@bodleian.ox.ac.uk
Bookings: scrr@bodleian.ox.ac.uk

We are situated in the Radcliffe Science Library [find the library] in the Lankester Room (Level 2) [locate the reading room]

Enquiries and contact information

The Special Collections Reading Room is staffed throughout opening hours and the staff are happy to help with any enquiries about medieval, modern and oriental manuscripts, rare books and ephemera with regard to their extent and availability, the fetching/delivery time, photography or photocopying, and assist with SOLO, the online databases accessible via OXLIP, as well as with the catalogues and handlists of manuscript and special collections administered in the Special Collections Reading Room.

Please note that the full range of reader services is only provided from 09.00 to 17.00 Monday to Friday, and that after 17.00 on weekdays and on Saturdays staff may have refer particular enquiries to regular (weekday) daytime staff.

 

If you have access or academic enquiries about our collections please contact:

 

Superintendent of Reading Rooms: Colin Harris

tel: +44 (0)1865 (2)77150

Collections Access Enquiries: scrr@bodleian.ox.ac.uk

 

Reference Librarian (Western Manuscripts): Eva Oledzka

tel: +44 (0)1865 (2)77152

Western Manuscripts Research and Academic Enquiries: enquiries.sc@bodleian.ox.ac.uk

 

 

Other Specialist advice is available:

 

Oriental Manuscripts and Rare Books
tel: +44 (0)1865 (2)77046
Enquiries: oriental@bodleian.ox.ac.uk

 

John Johnson Collection
tel: +44 (0)01865 (2)77047
Enquiries: jjcoll@bodleian.ox.ac.uk

 

Rare Books
tel: +44 (0)01865 (2)77102
Enquiries: rare.books@bodleian.ox.ac.uk

 

 

Reading Room Bookings and Orders:

Principal Library Assistant: Julia Wagner
Principal Library Assistant: Victoria Saywell
Principal Library Assistant: Rebecca Wall

tel: +44 (0)1865 (2)77046
Bookings and Orders: scrr@bodleian.ox.ac.uk

 

Using the collections

Manuscript and pre-1641, special and rare book collections

These collections are numerous, wide-ranging in their subjects, and of international importance. In general they are available to academics, students of all levels and independent researchers, although some collections require special permission before they may be consulted, while others are yet to be released for consultation. The collections studied in the Special Collections Reading Room are:

• Medieval and Early Modern manuscripts
• Modern manuscripts (historical, political, literary and scientific), from the reign of Queen Victoria (1837) until the present day
• Deposited (‘Dep’ or ‘D.D.’)
• Oriental manuscripts and rare books
• Rare books

Please consult the Special Collections web pages for further information.

Also, please check the Temporary Move of Special Collections website to check the availability of collections and to view a list of the collections to be transferred.

Access and admissions

Readers with A cards may order manuscripts and pre-1641, special and rare books. Readers with S or V cards may not consult these materials (including all undergraduates and some taught postgraduates).

Access to specific manuscripts and pre-1641, special and rare books may be granted to undergraduates and taught postgraduates holding S or V cards with the prior recommendation and support of their dissertation supervisor or tutor. Oxford students should deliver a letter of recommendation from their dissertation supervisor or tutor to the staff of Duke Humfrey’s Library or the Special Collections Reading Room before material is requested. Modern History finalists should deliver a copy of the form (opens in PDF) provided on the Modern History Faculty website completed by their supervisor or tutor.

Undergraduates and taught postgraduates outside Oxford should always make application to consult manuscript, special and rare book collections prior to a visit, with an advance letter or email from their dissertation supervisor, supporting the request for access, and addressed to the Superintendent of the Special Collections Reading Rooms. In general admission is during Oxford University vacations, but visits during term will be considered.

For further details of the admissions’ requirements and procedure, please view the Bodleian Libraries' Admissions web pages and/or contact us for our specific advice.

Ordering books and manuscripts

You may order up to ten items per day by email, telephone or in person.

E-mail: scrr@bodleian.ox.ac.uk
Tel: 01865 277046

To order printed books, including rare books, to be delivered to the Special Collections Reading Room using the Hold system in SOLO, select the option Special Collections RR. A maximum of ten orders may be made at any one time, including manuscript and non-SOLO requests.

To order manuscripts and those printed items not listed on SOLO, please complete green order slips provided at the staff desk, and ask staff for an estimate of the delivery time. This will vary depending on the collection according to the location of the material, but in general 1 hour is the average waiting time. There is no fetching/delivery service after 15.45 weekdays, after 15.00 on Saturdays in term time (or after 13.00 on Saturdays in vacation). Material is automatically reserved for one week (7 days) and this reservation may be renewed on request.

Advice on the use of manuscript and pre-1641, special and rare book collections

The manuscripts and books available in this reading room are part of the Bodleian's great inheritance. To help us preserve them for future generations, we ask all readers:

1. To leave bags and cases in the lockers;

2. To sign in at the staff desk on first using the reading room, so that staff can advise on collections and services;  

3. To use pencils only or a laptop, and not to use pens, paints, obliterating or erasing liquids. The use of scanners is not permitted;

4. To read all bound manuscripts and rare books on appropriate-sized foam book-rests, as provided in the reading room. Pages of a bound volume on a book-rest and loose documents being used flat on the desk may be gently held in place by cotton-linked weights or snakes, available from the staff desk. Cotton gloves are not used for manuscript consultation at the Bodleian Library;

5. To consult only one box or file of loose documents at a time;

6. To close manuscripts or books whenever you leave your desk, and return them to the staff desk whenever you leave the Library;

7. To take great care to keep loose or fasciculed papers in order;

8. Not to touch illuminations or any written area in a manuscript. A slip of acid-free paper may be used to follow a written text. Please do not place anything else on an open book or manuscript, or take notes on top of a manuscript or book, whether open or closed;

9. Not to bring any food (including sweets) or drink to the Reading Room;

10. Switch the laptops and mobile phones to silent mode.

In addition, please note that:

1. Two or more readers may not use the same manuscript at the same time without permission from a senior member of staff;

2. Items on exhibition are not available for readers (microfilm copies are usually available for consultation);

3. Copying a book or manuscript by tracing, painting or rubbing is not permitted.

4. Computers, bags, and other personal property, may not be left with staff;

5. Desks may be reserved but material may not be left on a desk overnight;

6. If the fire alarm sounds at any time readers should leave books, manuscripts and personal property at their desks and evacuate the building as quickly as possible under the direction of the staff.  

Open shelf printed material

For a current distribution of open-access resources (books and microfilms) please use the following links:

• Open-access resources to be located at the Special Collections reading room in RSL
• Microform resources to be located at the Special Collections reading room in RSL
• Open-access resources to remain in the Bodleian reading rooms
• Microform resources to remain in the Bodleian reading rooms

For more information, please check the Temporary Move of Special Collections website and click on view a list of the collections to be transferred.

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.

Book replacing

Book replacing is undertaken every weekday morning between 8:45 and 9:00am.
 

Facilities

Computer and laptop facilities

Computers are available in the Special Collections Reading Room for readers to consult SOLO, 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 (see information about using a laptop).

Photocopying and printing

PCAS allows you to pay for your prints, photocopies and scans online. Please see the Making a Copy page to set up a PCAS account.

The library offers a number of ways in which readers may obtain photocopies or digital images of manuscript and pre-1900 printed materials (which you cannot copy or scan yourself). For full details, please refer to the mediated copying page.

Printing from computers in the Special Collections Reading Room can be collected within 72 hours from any photocopier in the University. Log in at the photocopier using your Bodleian reader's card and PCAS account. For further information, please refer to the Print, Scan & Copy page.

A self-service photocopying area is available in the Lankester Room and in the Radcliffe Science Library foyer. Please present any published items printed after 1900 from which you wish to make copies to staff. Full details of what can be copied and of other copying services are given by the making a copy page.

Please note that all photocopiers are turned off and that staff-service photocopy orders are not accepted from 30 minutes before closing.

Please note that it is now possible to take personal digital photographs of some of our material. Please ask staff for further advice and permission forms.

Microform equipment

Microfiche and microfilm readers are available in the Special Collections Reading Room (please book in advance). A reader-printer with payment by PCAS (see the making a copy page for prices) is available in the Lankester Room.

Codicological tools

An ultra-violet lamp and a fibre-optic light sheet are available on application to reading room staff. A collator is available in the Duke Humfrey's Library in the Old Bodleian.

Closing routine

This commences half an hour before closure, when windows will be closed and ladders moved away from the aisles. Reader computers will be turned off 20 minutes before closure. A bell will be rung 10 minutes before closure, which is the signal for readers to finish working and leave. 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

Exit the Special Collections Reading Room via either of the doors.  Assemble in the car park in front of RSL and await instructions from the Duty Fire Officer. Readers must leave the building promptly when the fire alarm sounds or when instructed to by Library staff.