Bodleian Chinese Studies Library

Contacting the library

Bodleian Chinese Studies Library
151 Walton Street
Oxford OX1 2HG

tel: (01865) 280430
fax: (01865) 280431
email: chinese.studies.library@bodleian.ox.ac.uk

Staff

Opening hours and closed periods

Admission and lending

The Bodleian Chinese Studies Library is a part of the Bodleian Library. All persons wishing to use the Library must be accredited readers of the Bodleian Library and comply with its regulations. In addition they must observe the local rules set out below:

1. Readers of the Bodleian Library who are current members of the University of Oxford may read and borrow books. Other Bodleian readers will be given reading rights but borrowing rights will only be extended to them at the discretion of the Librarian.
2. No person may use the library unless he/she has completed the local registration form.
3. A reader with borrowing rights may borrow according to their allowance (UG six books and PG ten books in total) for two weeks and thereafter must return them at any time if asked to do so by the Library. Late return of books will incur a fine of 20p per day per book until the book(s) is/are returned/renewed.  Books on the Reserve Shelf may be borrowed for up to three hours for use only in the Reading Room.  Late return of these books will incur a fine of 50p per hour.  Renewal may be possible.  Books may be taken out for vacations during 8th week and are due back on the Saturday of 0th week of the next term.
4. Periodicals, reference books and other material marked 'confined' may not be borrowed.
5. Books may only be taken out of the United Kingdom with prior permission of the Librarian.
6. A reader who borrows books is responsible for them until they are returned to the library and may not hand them on to another person.
7. Bags may not be taken into the reading room but should be stored in lockers nearby or in the library reception area.
8. Articles left on the library premises or in lockers are at the owner's risk.
9. Mobile phones must be switched off while on library premises.
10. No reader may engage in conduct which infringes the regulations of the University in respect of use of its materials or facilities, including but not limited to the use of computers and network resrouces.

Holdings and services

The collection owes its existence to a grant made to the University in 1948 following the recommendations of the Scarbrough Interdepartmental Commission of Enquiry on Oriental, Slavonic, East European and African Studies. With these funds a basic sinological lending library was assembled which included significant holdings of Chinese collectanea (congshu). The Chinese Faculty Library, as it was then known, was housed in and around the offices of the academic staff, first at 7 Merton Street, then in Beaumont Street, before becoming part of the new Oriental Institute Library in 1961. It moved to its present premises in the basement of the Institute for Chinese Studies, Walton Street, in 1994.

The library, which currently holds some 45,000 volumes, functions as a teaching collection (the research material being held in the Central Bodleian's Department of Oriental Collections and in the Eastern Art Library). It comprises western works on most aspects of China except art and archaeology; a selection of texts in Chinese relevant to the courses offered; and a reference section of works (in all languages) concerned with China and the Chinese diaspora. The books (periodicals and pamphlets being kept in a separate sequence) are arranged on the shelves by subject according to the Harvard-Yenching classification, a copy of which is kept by the terminals. There are two main sections: the main lending collection is in the mobile shelving in the north and south wings, while some of the oversize books and the reference section of confined dictionaries, bibliographies etc., occupy the static shelving around the reading room. Periodicals are shelved in the reception corridor.  There is a display of current periodicals in the Reading Room.

The library's western language stock is recorded on OLIS, its post-1991 Chinese material in the allegro Chinese catalogue, and its Japanese sinology in the allegro Japanese catalogue; pre-1992 acquisitions in Chinese are entered in the author/title card catalogue (Wade-Giles transliteration). OLIS is searchable by means of its many indexes, including title, author, subject and keyword; the allegro catalogues are accessible both in original script and in transliteration.  External access to all on-line catalogues is available both via telnet and the web.

No attempt has been made to build up a comprehensive collection of journals, since most relevant titles are taken somewhere in Oxford. Periodicals are recorded in the appropriate on-line catalogues and current issues of selected titles are placed on display. The library holds information on journals held by other libraries in the University and staff are always willing to help locate a title not found in the library's own limited collection or on OLIS. Periodicals may not be borrowed.  Many of our periodicals are currently available on-line (full text) at Oxford University E-journals.

Services include OxLIP original script internet access to sources in Chinese, Japanese and Korean, self-service photocopying, microform reader and lockers for the use of regular readers.

Access for disabled people is by a ramp at the rear of the building leading directly into the reading room. A fully adapted toilet is also provided.

Chinese language e-resources

Please see Chinese language e-resources.