Learning resources

Over 100 libraries

Oxford’s libraries are among the most celebrated, not only for their incomparable collections of books and manuscripts, but also for their buildings, some of which have remained in continuous use since the Middle Ages.

The Bodleian Libraries include major research libraries, department and faculty libraries and, of course, the principal University library – the Bodleian Library. As well as the main group of Bodleian Libraries, there are other University libraries and a library in every college. From beautiful and historic reading rooms to modern library spaces designed for comfort and flexibility, we offer an incredibly wide range of places for you to read, write and think.

The Bodleian Library is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library. It is also one of six legal deposit libraries in the UK so can request a copy of any item (including digital and online) published in the UK or Ireland.

All this means that as an Oxford student, it is possible to complete your entire degree without having to buy a single book on your reading lists, and you will be able to study in some of the best resourced and most inspiring places in the world.

Sitting in the Bodleian Library at the same desk that might once have been occupied by John Locke and Robert Hooke, I feel part of the University's rich history.

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College libraries open 24/7

Many college libraries are open 24 hours a day (just in case you have a late-night essay crisis) during term time.

There are over 4,000 study spaces in the main libraries, and there are also a vast number of online resources available to students, including databases, books, reference materials and journals. 

Help finding what you need

If you're not sure where to start, the library staff in your own college or in the Bodleian Libraries are on hand to help. Talk to a member of staff  in one of our libraries, use the Bodleian Libraries' Live Chat service or the Reader Services team.

Facts and figures

• There are dedicated libraries for all the subjects taught at the University, plus many other related fields. 
• The Bodleian Libraries hold over 13 million printed items and provide access to over 177,000 e-journals and 1.5 million e-books. 
• As well as books, the University holds remarkable collections of manuscripts, rare books, maps and music. 
• The Bodleian Libraries have been featured in numerous films and TV series, from Harry Potter to the X-Men; The Crown to The Golden Compass.

Incredible objects, specimens and artworks amid spectacular architecture

Our museums and gardens are steeped in history, where writers and researchers found inspiration and where scholars explored new specimens.

Today they remain places of research and discovery, where you can learn about the 8.5 million objects within the museums’ collections, enjoy exhibitions and events, visit cafés and shops, or simply take time out of your studies in these beautiful spaces.

Free priority access

Students at the University have priority access to these important collections, and they offer an extra set of resources for helping you with your studies.

Although the museums can be used by everyone, they are used particularly extensively by students on the following courses: Archaeology and Anthropology, Biology, Classical Archaeology and Ancient History, Classics, Earth Sciences, History and History of Art.

Oxford's world-famous museums and collections

Here are just some of the resources you will have free access to:

• the Ashmolean Museum is Oxford’s museum of Art & Archaeology, with collections ranging from Egyptian mummies to contemporary art. Entry is free, with various events taking place throughout the year. Oxford students also get free entry to ticketed special exhibitions. The Academic Engagement Programme offers opportunities for collections-based learning and research to undergraduates and graduates in a wide range of disciplines.
• the Museum of Natural History houses Oxford’s internationally significant collections of geological and zoological specimens, including the Oxford dodo and the first scientifically described dinosaur. 
• the History of Science Museum is home to an extensive collection of scientific inventions, devices and instruments from different cultures, places and times in human history, including Einstein's blackboard and intriguing astrolabes. Entry is free, with events taking place throughout the year.
• the Pitt Rivers Museum has over 700,000 objects, including photographs, film, manuscripts, and archaeological and ethnographic objects
• the Christ Church Picture Gallery houses more than 300 Old Master paintings and 2000 drawings
• the magnificent and much-loved Bate Collection holds 1,000 instruments dating from the Renaissance and the Baroque to modern times.
• Together the Botanic Garden and Harcourt Arboretum hold over 6,000 types of plant, some of which are grown nowhere else, providing free access for students, with collection-based learning and research for both undergraduates and postgraduates across the two sites. The Garden has extensive medicinal plant collections and is actively involved in research into biomimicry, biodiversity in floristic hotspots and evolutionary genetics, and is cultivating a parasitic plant collection. The Arboretum, located just south of the city, comprises over 130 acres and contains some of the world’s rarest trees.