Use the tabs above to understand how the Law Bod's collection is arranged. There is an Enquiry Desk on Level 2, just as you enter the main Reading Room: please do come and have a word if you are having any difficulty in using the library..
The Law Library's collection is fully catalogued on SOLO, Oxford University's online resource discovery tool.
Some suggested search terms to use in SOLO
Medical laws and legislation
Medical care -- Law and legislation
Ethics, Medical
Patients Rights
Informed consent (medical law)
Liability, Legal ; Malpractice -- legislation & jurisprudence
Public health laws ; Medical policy ; Public health
Abortion -- Moral and ethical aspects
Fetus -- Legal status, laws, etc
Terminal care -- Law and legislation
Terminal care -- Moral and ethical aspects
Death -- Moral and ethical aspects
Right to Die -- ethics
Right to Die -- legislation & jurisprudence
Ethics, Medical
Euthanasia -- ethics
Suicide, Assisted -- ethics
For those wishing to learn more about using searches, we recommend the following:
When you are studying English medical law, most of the books of interest to you will be shelved on Level 2, the entrance level to the Law Bod.
Looking for a Reading List title?
When you search SOLO for books on your Reading List you may find that the location is shown as Law Library Reserve Collection. The Reserve Collection is also on Level 2 but are shelved in a discrete run. Please ask at the Enquiry Desk for directions when you are next in the Law Library.
Note. The books in the Reserve Collection are available to all categories of readers (not just those on the particular course).
However the open shelf collections also on Level 2 will hold many more potentially useful works.
The Law Library divides its current collections for jurisdictions across 3 levels. Each of these floors is connected by both stairs and a lift. There are also reader spaces on each floor, but we are happy for you to take books from one floor to another.
Level 2
This is the entrance level to the library. It has the books relating to the law of our home jurisdiction (UK/England and Wales), other parts of the British Isles and some of the common law jurisdictions. The shelf arrangement is explained in more detail below.
Level 3
This is one floor above the entrance level to the library. Here you willl find the collection for the European jurisdictions.
Level 1
This is one floor below the entrance level to the library. Here the remaining jurisdictions are arranged, alphabetically by the English name of the nation. This is where to find, for example, China, India, South Africa etc.
Level 2 subject arrangement in more detail
The Moys (K shelf mark) system is a subject classification. In the Law Bod, books on the law of England & Wales/UK are shelved first - with shelf marks made up of a subject indicator, followed by author/editor and publication date elements.
KN 180 – KN 186 Public welfare, public health & hygiene
Medical law at KN 185
After the last English book on the topic, we shelve books on the same aspect of law from certain foreign jurisdictions, grouped by country. Their shelf marks have a distinguishing feature: the third line is either a familiar abbreviation of the country name or a combination of Capital Letter Number (eg A8) - as shown in table below. .
A8 or AUS Australia
C1 or CAN Canada
G8 or GUE Guernsey
I5 or IRL Ireland
I7 or IOM Isle of Man
J2 or JER Jersey
N4 or NZL New Zealand
N8 or NIR Northern Ireland
S3 or SCT Scotland
U4 or USA United States
W1 or WLS Wales
On Level 2, the level at which you enter the Law Library, an area of the open shelf collection has books with shelf marks beginning General.
This is where you will find comparative studies, and works surveying the response to legal problems in two or more jurisdictions.
If all the countries being compared are (or were) members of the Commonwealth, the book should have a shelf mark beginning Cw Gen. This collection is also on Level 2, but separate from General.
Please ask at the Enquiry Desk on Level 2 if you are having difficulty finding your way round our collection.
Looking for a Reading List title?
When you search SOLO for books on your Reading List you may find that the location is shown as Law Library Reserve Collection. The Reserve Collection is also on Level 2 but are shelved in a discrete run. Please ask at the Enquiry Desk for directions when you are next in the Law Library.
Note. The books in the Reserve Collection are available to all categories of readers (not just those on the particular course),
European law books in the Reserve Collection have shelf marks beginning KW.
Open shelf collection
The majority of current editions of books on European Union law is shelved on Level 3, one floor above the level at which you enter the library. The floor is accessible via either stairs or the lift.
The books have shelf marks beginning Euro Comm. There is is no subject classification within the collection, the books being arranged alphabetically by the first names author/editor/
The principal collection of legal philosophy/jurisprudence books are shelved on Level 2, the level at which you enter the Law Library.
They are brought together with shelf marks beginning Jurisp. Within this section the books are then arranged by the last name of author or editor.
The principal collection of public international law books are shelved on Level 3, one floor above that which you enter the Law Library. An area of the open shelf collection has books with shelf marks beginning Internat. Within this section the books are arranged by broad subject area
Internat 570 is where you will find books on all aspects of international human rights.
Suggested subject search terms for SOLO include
Right to health
Public health laws, International
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).
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.