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Film Studies: Books

A short guide to Bodleian Libraries' resources for Film Studies
Subjects: English, Film Studies

Introduction

The majority of books held by the Bodleian Libraries, in both physical and electronic formats, can be searched via SOLO. On this page you will find recommended libraries and ebook collections containing relevant books.

Physical books


Jean Painlevé, French scientist and filmmaker, 1902-1989
Photograph © Les Documents
Cinématographiques 2006

Film Studies is a growing discipline in Oxford, with film collections currently housed across a number of different libraries in the Humanities, Area Studies and Social Sciences. The film collections are primarily organised by country. Use the tabs above to explore the key libraries for Film Studies. Access to collections and borrowing privileges are subject to conditions; please check individual library websites for further information.

This box outlines where to find Film Studies book collections; see the Films page for information about locating films.

Use SOLO, the library catalogue which covers the majority of the Library collections of the University of Oxford, to search our collections for films, books, journals and other resources. Help with using SOLO to find film-related material is available in the Using SOLO to Find Film Studies Material guide.

Help with books

For those wishing to learn more about searching for physical collections in Oxford, we recommend the following:

Electronic books (ebooks)

Ebooks are digital versions of written works. Broadly speaking they come in two forms: they are either 'born digital' or are digital reproductions of printed books. See the tabs above for details of different ebook collections relevant to Film Studies. 

Note that all of the Bodleian Libraries' ebooks are individually catalogued on SOLO, where you can search for them in the usual ways. If you want to use SOLO to find only eversions of texts, limit your search to 'Online Resources'. 

Features

Many ebooks have enhanced functionality, such as connectivity with reference management software, the ability to annotate and accessibility features.

Access

Members of Oxford University can use ebooks that the Bodleian Libraries have purchased for free. Search for them on SOLO. They can be read on a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, e-reader or mobile phone; you just need your Oxford Single Sign On to access them. Individually purchased ebooks are all searchable on SOLO, but not all purchased ebook collections are, so it is important to visit the websites of ebook collections too. Look at the 'ebook collections' tab above.

Note, some ebooks have restrictive access and usage terms, for example they can only be read by one person at a time.

Some books are acquired via 'electronic Legal Deposit'. These must be read on a library desktop computer in one of the Bodleian Libraries. Further information on how to identify and access electronic Legal Deposit items on SOLO is at the link below.

Help with ebooks

The links below are provided for those wishing to learn more about ebooks.

The following is a list of ebook collections applicable to those studying Film Studies at Oxford. Not all ebook collections are available on SOLO, so it is important to visit ebook collection websites to expand your search. You can browse and search across all ebooks on the provider's website and encounter titles of interest you may not have otherwise found.

Access

The ebook collections have been selected by the Bodleian Libraries and you are able to access them for free because of institutional subscriptions to the content. You will need your Oxford Single Sign On to access the collections if you are not on the University network.

You will find study skills resources compiled by Bodleian Libraries staff available on Oxford Reading List Online (ORLO).

Access

You will need your Oxford Single Sign On credentials to access the list.

Recommend a book

If the Bodleian Libraries don't have the print or ebook you are looking for, you can make a recommendation by completing the form below (Oxford Single-Sign On required).

Inter-library loans

If the Bodleian Libraries don't have the book you are looking for, we may be able to source it through Oxford's inter-library loan service.

Why are some books not available electronically?

There are a number of reasons why the Bodleian Libraries may be unable to provide electronic access to a resource. The ebooks guide explains some of these reasons:

Collection Policy for Film Studies