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German Language and Literature: Books

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 books, guidance on how to search for and access print and ebooks, and libraries in the University that might be relevant for your studies and research.

Physical books

Use the tabs above to explore the key texts and libraries for students of German Language and Literature. Access to collections and borrowing privileges are subject to conditions; please check individual library websites for further information.

Help with books

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

Below you will find key texts for German Language and Literature. The links will take you through to SOLO where you can find out how to access the books.

Browsing the library's print collections can help you find relevant resources as the books are shelved in subject order, so you'll find related books shelved together.

The Taylorian has two collections, a Teaching Collection and a Research Collection. It is important to note which collection a book is in, as well as the shelf mark.  Books from both collections can be borrowed at the Issue Desk on the ground floor.

Teaching Collection

Teaching Collection books that are not marked "closed stack" are available on the open shelves in the Teaching Collection library on the ground floor.  There are two classification schemes for German:

  • The new Library of Congress (LC) classification.  For German, these shelfmarks begin PD (for language) and PT (for literature).
  • The old in-house scheme.  The shelfmark range for German begins at AA and goes through to D.

Oversize books are in a separate section at the back of the ground floor.  If you have any difficulty locating the book you need, please ask at the issue desk.  The staff will be happy to help.

Research Collection

German Research Collection books are housed upstairs in the Main Stack, as well as in the basement. 

There are two main classification schemes in operation for German:

  • The new Library of Congress (LC) classification.  For German, these shelf marks begin PD (for language - in the Lower Stack) and PT (for literature - in the Upper Stack).
  • The old in-house scheme.  These are in the Upper Stack, and the shelf mark range for German begins at DZ and goes through to WQ.

The two schemes can look very similar.  Please note the LC classifications always have a year at the end.

German oversize books are in the Basement. Journals are in the Main Reading Room or the Basement.

Other classification schemes are in operation - please ask at the enquiry desk if you are in any doubt.  Staff will be happy to help.

A number of other libraries may be of relevance to those studying German Language and Literature (including Yiddish).

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 resources relevant to those studying German Language and Literature.

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.

Below you will find key texts available as ebooks for German Language and Literature.

Access

You will need your Oxford Single Sign On to access the ebooks if you are not on the University network.

The following is a list of ebook collections applicable to those studying German Language and Literature 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.

A number of eresources, including ebook collections, are freely available online and listed below.

Access

Some of these resources are listed on SOLO but not all, so it is important to visit the websites to expand your search. You do not need your Oxford Single Sign On to access them. These are different to the ebooks purchased by the Bodleian Libraries for which you need your Single Sign On for access.

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 requests

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 request 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:

New Books

New book acquisitions made over the previous twelve months can be found below. The lists contain direct links to SOLO. Please contact the Subject Librarian if you would like to see older lists.