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.
Looking for a Reading List title?
When you search SOLO for books on your Oxford Law Faculty Reading List you may find that the location is shown as Law Library Reserve Collection. Books in this collection must be asked for at the Enquiry Desk on Level 2. Please remember to bring your Oxford University Card or your Bodleian Reader's Card when you come to the Desk.
Note. The books in the Reserve Collection are available to all categories of readers, not just those on the particular course.
The Law Library's collection is fully catalogued on SOLO, Oxford University's online resource discovery tool.
Some Subject search terms to use in SOLO
Cultural property
Cultural property -- Protection (International law)
World Heritage areas
Intangible property
Indigenous peoples -- Civil rights
Art --- Protection
Excavations ( Archaeology ) Protection
Foreign trade regulation
For those wishing to learn more about using searches, we recommend the following:
On Level 3, one floor above the entrance level to the Law Library, an area of the open shelf collection has books with shelf marks beginning Internat (short for public international law). The Internat book collection is further arranged by topic as described at the foot of this box.
Also on Level 3 is an area of the open shelf collection with books with shelf marks beginning Private Int. (This is short for private international law or conflict of laws as it is sometimes called.) In this section books are simply arranged by the last name of the author or editor, not by topic.
The public international law collection on Level 3 is subdivided by broad areas of law. The divisions used are listed alphabetically below, with the corresponding shelf mark alongside. Within each shelf mark the books are next arranged by author/editor.
Air law Internat 640
Atomic energy Internat 600
Dependent states and special regimes Internat 535
Economic law Internat 590
European Court of Human Rights: literature Internat 575
General and theory Internat 500
History Internat 510
Human rights Internat 570
International crimes Internat 580
International relations Internat 660
Jurisdiction of states Internat 560
Law of the sea and waterways Internat 630
Nationality Internat 565
Recognition Internat 545
Servitudes Internat 550
Social legislation and organisation Internat 610
Space law Internat 650
State responsibility Internat 555
State succession Internat 540
The state (as a legal entity) Internat 530
Title to territory Internat 520
Transport and communications (except sea, air and space) Internat 620
Treaties (theory etc.) Internat 670
International organisations History and general Internat 680
General and regional political organisations Internat 681
League of Nations: general Internat 685
League of Nations: publications (series) Internat 686
United Nations: general Internat 687
United Nations: publications (series) Internat 688
Peace and disarmament Internat 700
International disputes and arbitration General and theory Internat 710
Individual arbitration tribunals: literature Internat 740
International courts and tribunals: general Internat 720
Permanent Court of Arbitration: literature Internat 730
Permanent Court of International Justice and the International Court of Justice: literature Internat 725
Termination of war (including specific peace treaties) Internat 760
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. In the case of cultural heritage law also books which look at both domestic/national responses and international ones.
If all the countries being compared are (or were) members of the Commonwealth (the voluntary association of 54 independent and equal countries in Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Pacific) 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.
On Level 2, the entrance level to the Law Library, you will find books on the laws of all the jurisdictions of Great Britain and Northern Island, Australia, Canada, Channel Islands, Ireland, New Zealand, United States of America.
These books have shelf marks beginning K. The books dealing with English law are shelved at the start of each new K shelf mark, followed by the other jurisdictions alphabetically. The foreign jurisdictions are indicated in the shelf marks to their books by the following codes
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
Books on the law of European jurisdictions and the European Union are shelved on Level 3, one floor above the entrance level to the law library
Books from the remaining national jurisdictions are on Level 1, one floor below the entrance level to the law library
For guidance on primary sources and commentary in general, please see if we have a special guide for your jurisdiction(s) of interest
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 loan service.