Spaces at the VHL

A birdseye view of the reading room at the Vere Harmsworth Library

Study areas

There are large seating areas on the ground and mezzanine floor. There are also 53 individual desks on the upper floors. There are 12 PCs for reader use on ground floor.

Reserved desks

The carrels on the first floor overlooking the mezzanine are reserved for named DPhil students at the Rothermere American Institute. Other readers are welcome to use these desks, but please note that you may be asked to move by the carrel holder. If you are a DPhil student connected with the RAI and would like to go on the waiting list for a desk, please contact the Librarian. 

Quiet area

The desks by the windows on the top floor are designated as a quiet area with no laptop use permitted. 

Group study rooms

The library has a group study room available on the ground floor, by the enquiry desk. It offers a PC with Skype and a webcam, which can be used for academic purposes. Unlike the main library PCs, this PC has sound enabled, and can also be used for looking at audio-visual resources. If you wish to book this room, please ask staff or email vhl@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.  

There are also two group study rooms on the first floor, which can be booked by any University of Oxford card holder. Please contact staff to make a booking (email vhl@bodleian.ox.ac.uk or phone +44 1865 272800), or speak to staff at the library desk.

Break room

There is a student break room on the second floor. Students are welcome to eat cold snacks in this area only.