Library

Many reading lists have now been made available via ORLO, which can provide links to scanned chapters from books. Please bear in mind that not all reading lists are yet available via ORLO.

Additional information and links on individual academic disciplines is available via the LibGuides for each subject.

SOLO

The fundamental resource for accessing the University’s information resources. Use SOLO to search for physical and electronic items, articles and other e-resources.

Digital Bodleian

Search and explore the Bodleian's collections on Digital Bodleian, with over 900,000 images of c.16,000 collection items.

E-books

Access over 1.4 million e-books via SOLO. Filter results by Online Resources to find e-books – look for the green Online access icon for those that are accessible outside the Bodleian’s reading-rooms. Items with an Orange access icon are legal deposit items.

There is more information on accessing e-books on the e-books LibGuide.

E-journals

Access over 118,000 e-journal titles is available via SOLO. Filter results by Online Resources to show resources that can be accessed offsite – look for the green Online access icon for items that can be accessed outside the Bodleian reading-rooms. As in the case of books, items with an Orange item can only be read in the Bodleian itself.

Databases

Access over 1,300 databases across a broad range of subject areas. Visit Databases A-Z or search via SOLO.

Remember also that there are a range of free online resources provided by institutions outside Oxford. These include:

• Gallica – the Bibliothèque nationale de France's full-text database of earlier and out-of-copyright items
• Internet Text Archive – digitised copies of earlier and out-of-copyright items. Google Books or Project Gutenberg may also help.
• Institute of Historical Research - Open and Free Access Materials for Research.
• Directory of Open Access Books is a series of additional free full-text books made available via JISC’s 'Library Hub' website.

To access the texts of particular items you should follow these steps:

1. Enter your search terms in the search box to the right of the doab qualifier and click on the search button to the right;
2. Click on the short title and thumbnail for the book you want. This will take you to the full record for that item;
3. Scroll down towards the END of the links below the item record. To access the text, you need to click on the link with the prefix 'doab'.

Borrowing

Almost all books in the Library, unless marked ‘Confined’ or ‘Not to be Taken Away’, may be borrowed. Books should be borrowed using the self-issue machine in the Library Reception. Please contact a member of staff if you need any help with this.

Borrowing entitlements for St Peter's students are as follows:

Undergraduates and Visiting Students: 15 volumes at any one time. The standard loan period is 28 days. All books issued in term are due for return not later than Thursday of 8th week. The loan period is progressively foreshortened to allow for this. Books may be borrowed for the entire period of the subsequent Vacation from the Monday of 8th week.

Postgraduates: 15 volumes at any one time. The standard loan period is 56 days, both in Term and Vacation.

Renewing

Books already on loan may be renewed, provided that they have not been already requested by another member of the college.

There are two ways in which books may be renewed. Either, reissue the books on the self-issue machine, or renew them using the renewal facility which may be accessed through the ‘My Account’ pages on SOLO.

The ‘My Account’ pages can also be used to check what books you have on loan and when they are due for return, and to renew them provided that they have not been requested by another college member. Remember: if your books are overdue, you will not be able to renew them yourself. If you have problems trying to renew your books, or if they are already overdue, please contact Library staff who may be able to help.

Returning

Books for return should be placed in the Book Return Bins in the Library Reception, or handed to a member of Library staff. If books are not returned on time, a charge will be made at the rate of 20p per day for each volume kept overdue.