Extended lending is now available at the Old Library. University members can borrow materials from Bodleian Offsite Storage published in the year 2000 or later.
Open shelf collections in the Old Library remain available for reference use only.
Who can borrow?
- Current members of the University of Oxford with a valid University card may borrow from the Bodleian Old Library after requesting eligible items from Bodleian Offsite Storage.
- Bodleian Reader card holders have reference-only access to the library and may not borrow. If you are not a member of the University, find out about applying for a Bodleian Reader card.
What can be borrowed?
- Items with a ‘Loanable’ status on SOLO can be borrowed. This applies to books held in Bodleian Offsite Storage published from the year 2000 onwards, unless they fall into an excluded category.
- Items with a ‘Use in Library Only’ status on SOLO may only be consulted in the library; they cannot be borrowed. This also applies to items kept on the open shelves in the Bodleian Old Library and Radcliffe Camera (including those in the Upper Camera and Lower Gladstone Link).
- For more information on borrowing in the Bodleian Old Library, speak to staff at the enquiry desk in the Lower Reading Room or contact reader.services@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.
How to borrow
To borrow items you have requested from Bodleian Offsite Storage to the Bodleian Old Library, bring your University card to the staff desk located in the centre of the Upper Reading Room. Staff will issue your materials so that they can be taken away.
Borrowing allowances and loan periods
- Borrowing policy applies across all Bodleian Libraries that offer lending, including the Bodleian Old Library. Find out more about borrowing from the Bodleian Libraries, including how many items you can borrow, loan periods and automatic renewals.
- You can reserve items currently on loan via SOLO. These will be placed on hold for you when returned. You will receive a notification when they become available.
- Vacation borrowing for most items begins on the Monday of 8th Week. Books will be issued until the Monday of 1st Week of the following term.
- If you have disclosed a disability, you may be eligible for extended loan periods, increased loan limits and proxy borrowing.
- Books you have borrowed are your responsibility until they are returned to the library. You may not lend or transfer them to another person.
- Due to operational constraints and space limitations, readers must take borrowed items away with them. Please do not leave these materials on the self-collect shelves. If you need us to retain loanable items for accessibility reasons, please speak to a member of staff.
Renew and return
- Borrowed items will be renewed automatically (see below for exceptions). You can also renew items online via SOLO.
- An item will not automatically renew if it has been reserved by another reader. If a renewal is not possible you will receive an email notification.
- All books with a ‘7 Day Loan’ policy have a maximum renewal period of 112 days (16 weeks) from the date they were first issued.
- Please return items to the desk where they were issued.
Lost items
If you have lost an item borrowed from the Bodleian Old Library, you must report it to a member of staff at the issue desk or by email (reader.services@bodleian.ox.ac.uk). Please provide as much information as possible, including author and title. We will forward these details to the team responsible for invoicing, who’ll contact you in due course.
Once the invoice has been paid the missing item will be removed from your library account and any associated blocks removed. The library does not accept replacement copies of books in lieu of payment.
