Online and remote access

This page covers how to access the online resources provided by the University of Oxford's libraries.

What can I access?

University of Oxford students and staff have access to a wider range of digital resources, including access when you are offsite or away from Oxford.

Bodleian Reader card holders can only access our digital resources from a library computer or a device connected to our ‘Bodleian-Libraries’ Wi-Fi network. They cannot access these resources offsite.

How to access digital resources

The University of Oxford subscribes to a very wide range of online resources, and we are subject to publishers' conditions on the use of the licensed resources we provide.

E-resources may be used for study and research but not for commercial purposes.

For University members

If you are connected to a University of Oxford network, you will be able to access most e-resources without needing to enter a username or password. If you are off campus, you can connect to the University's Virtual Private Network (VPN) from anywhere in the world to get access to all the facilities and resources available to users on campus.

If you are not connected to a University network, log in to SOLO using your Oxford Single Sign-On (SSO) to get access to all of the Bodleian Libraries’ databases, electronic reference works, e-books and e-journals.

SOLO

Use SOLO to search and access the resources offered by the University's libraries. This includes over 1.4 million e-books, 118,000 journal articles, and – where possible – subscription copies of electronic legal deposit material. The 'Online Resources' filter will show you only resources of this type.

Where available, you will see links to:

  • download PDFs
  • download a subscription copy (electronic legal deposit material)
  • read articles or books on a third party publisher’s
  • view contents on a third party publisher’s site

We also have a guide to accessing and using e-books.

HathiTrust: public domain books

You can access 4 million items directly from the HathiTrust website. Download in full whole volumes of public domain books.

If you are a reader with a print disability, you will be able to request full book downloads on copyright items via the Accessible Resources Unit (ARACU).

  1. Follow the yellow login button
  2. Enter Oxford into the search box
  3. Select University of Oxford to be redirected to the SSO login screen.

BrowZine: journals

You can access online and – where possible – electronic legal print material on BrowZine.

Search for Bodleian Libraries as your institution and you will be redirected to your SSO login screen.

You can then search directly for titles.

BrowZine also offers features to save and favourite texts

All e-journals (including articles from before 2005) can also be found on SOLO.

Databases

We offer access to over 1,000 databases. Many of these can be accessed wherever you are. All of Oxford’s databases are accessible via SOLO (filter by Databases under Resource Type) and also via Databases A-Z.

Reading lists

If you are an undergraduate or taught postgraduate student, Oxford Reading Lists Online (ORLO) provides access to your reading lists, and includes direct links to online full-text versions where available. For more information, visit our ORLO guide.

Other digital resources

You can log in with your SSO to access the following services:

For everyone

The following resources are available to all researchers:

Books and journals

Articles, dissertations and theses

Manuscripts and archives

  • Digital Bodleian: Explore over a million images of rare books and manuscripts from the Bodleian Libraries and Oxford colleges.

Exceptions

Some electronic resources have different, specific licence conditions. If in any doubt, please speak to a member of staff in one of the Bodleian Libraries or contact us.

Contact

If you have any queries about access to e-resources, please contact eresources@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

Related links