Lower Camera
The Lower Camera Reading Room is the main undergraduate reading room of the central Bodleian for students studying Theology and English Literature. The reading room also contains the Bodleian open shelf collections of Film Studies and Latin American Studies materials. The Official Papers Reading Room is accessed via the Lower Camera.
Location
Lower Camera Reading Room
Radcliffe Camera
Bodleian Library
Broad Street
Oxford OX1 3BG
We are situated on the ground floor of the Radcliffe Camera.
Enquiries and contact information
Supervisor: Jane Skinner
tel: 01865 (2)77204
email: reader.services@bodley.ox.ac.uk
Please ask staff if you have any enquiries about open shelf material, the book service, or photocopying.
Please note that the full range of services is only offered from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, and that after 5pm on weekdays and on Saturdays staff may refer particular enquiries to the Main Enquiry Desk, or to daytime staff.
The Library’s Main Enquiry Desk in the Lower Reading Room of the Old Library is staffed throughout opening hours, and staff there are happy to help with any queries, direct you to the most appropriate reading room for your studies, and assist with the use of the online catalogue OLIS and electronic resources available via OxLIP+. A range of guides on library services and facilities is also available from the Desk. To contact the Main Enquiry Desk or to ask a question, please use the Ask an Oxford Librarian page.
Subjects
English Literature
The open shelf collection in English Literature (shelved at SE), which is intended for undergraduate study, covers literature in English (with emphasis on critical material) from the Anglo-Saxon period onwards, from Britain and elsewhere, and includes material on the English language.
Selected recent acquisitions of undergraduate materials from both the legal deposit intake (British and Irish materials) and, where relevant, from a wide range of foreign accessions, are displayed in the section SE Display located in the centre of the reading room.
Recent issues of journals are shelved with the main run of each journal.
For more information, please see the English subject page.
Film Studies
A small collection of Film Studies books may be found in the centre of the room. For more information, please see the Film Studies subject page.
Theology
The Theology collection (S Th) Covers the western world including Byzantium from the Biblical period to date and is of use for both undergraduate and early postgraduate study.
Selected recent acquisitions of undergraduate materials from both the legal deposit intake (British and Irish materials) and, where relevant, from a wide range of foreign accessions, are displayed in the section SE Display located in the centre of the reading room.
Recent issues of journals are shelved with the main run of each journal. Current volumes of a number of Theology journals whose main runs are kept in the bookstack are held on a display adjacent to the Theology books.
Using the collections
All titles held in the Lower Camera are listed on OLIS, Oxford University's library catalogue. On the catalogue, books and journals available on the open shelves will have the location Bodley BOD L.Camera, followed by a shelfmark such as SE.10 41.12 (English Literature), S Th G 29. 4 (Theology), SLA 4H 10.1 (Latin American Studies), or PN1993.5.A1FIL 2000 (Film Studies). A pink slip must be filled out and put in the place of any material removed from the shelves.
There is a reserve collection of books likely to be in heavy demand kept at the staff desk, identified on the OLIS catalogue by the shelfmark suffix RES.
A file of annotated reading lists is on display in the reading room.
Mobile steps, kicksteps, and other items of height access equipment are available to help readers retrieve open shelf books from the higher shelves of bookcases. Before using equipment of this type, please make a visual check that it is not damaged or faulty. Please take care when using the equipment, and if it is unstable, let staff know straightaway, and then find another set of steps. When using sets of steps with hooved or cup feet, please take particular care not to knock the feet against bookcases or skirting boards, as this can distort them and make the steps unstable.
The floor in the bay just to the south east of the staff desk is uneven. The mobile steps available in this area have been found to be stable, but please take additional care when using them.
Book replacing
Book replacing is undertaken every weekday evening from 7.30pm in term, and from 5.30pm in vacation, continuing every weekday morning until approximately 9.15am. Book replacing is undertaken throughout the day on Saturdays.
Stack request
To order books using the automated stack request system to the Lower Camera select the option LCamRes. A maximum of four orders to the Lower Camera may be made at any one time. Pre-1800, large or heavy material, and special collections material may not be ordered to this room.
Facilities
Computer and laptop facilitiesComputers are available for readers to consult SOLO, OLIS, OxLIP+ databases, and internet resources of academic interest. All reader seats are equipped with power sockets and ethernet points, for connection to the internet, and wireless is available – for more information please consult the Using a laptop page.
Printing and photocopying
Printing from computers in the Lower Camera is managed by Pharos software, which enables payment by Bodleian Libraries print/photocopy card. Prints can be collected from the print release station (a computer with a printer and a print/photocopy card reader attached) in the centre of the room, or at the other two print release stations in the central Bodleian (Lower Reading Room and Upper Reading Room).
Lower Camera has two photocopiers. Please present any items from which you wish to make copies to staff. Full details of what can be copied and of other copying services are given by the making a copy page. Please note that photocopiers are turned off from 30 minutes before closing.
Bodleian Libraries print/photocopy cards can be purchased and revalued at machines in the Lower Camera. A change machine accepting £5 and £10 notes is located on the ground floor of the Camera staircase.
Closing routine
This commences half an hour before closure, when windows will be closed, and bookcase lights turned off. Reader computers will be turned off 15 minutes before closure. A bell will be rung 10 minutes before closure, which is the signal for readers to finish working and leave. The main lights will be turned off 5 minutes before closure. Please ensure that you take all your belongings with you when you leave the Library.
The underground bookstore (Latin American periodicals and the Official Papers Reading Room) closes at 6.30pm on weekdays, and at 3.30pm on Saturdays, except at those times when the Camera closes at 5pm, when it closes at 4.30pm.
Please note that photocopiers are turned off and that staff-service photocopy orders are not accepted from 30 minutes before closing.
Fire exits and assembly point
The only fire exit is through the entrance door to the Lower Camera, and up the stairs to the entrance to the Camera. Assemble in Radcliffe Square, outside the railings. Readers must leave the building promptly when the fire alarm sounds or when instructed to by library staff.
