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.
Use the tabs above to explore the key texts and libraries for students of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies. Access to collections and borrowing privileges are subject to conditions; please check individual library websites for further information.
For those wishing to learn more about searching for physical collections in Oxford, we recommend the following:
A number of libraries within the Bodleian Libraries network hold material relevant to Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies, depending on your particular focus within the field. A full list of the Bodleian Libraries is available online, and a selection is also listed below.
The Taylor Institution Library supports the study of Modern European languages and literatures, other than English. It also has material in support of Women's Studies, including a collection of items on the reading lists of the core courses of the MSt in Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies. This collection can be found on the open shelves of the Taylorian's Main Reading Room. Much of this reading list material is also available electronically. These two core reading lists are available via ORLO (Oxford Reading Lists Online) (SSO required) and ORLO is a quick way to see the availability of reading list items.
A number of other libraries may be of relevance to Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, including:
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 Women’s, Gender and Sexuality 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'.
Many ebooks have enhanced functionality, such as connectivity with reference management software, the ability to annotate and accessibility features.
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.
The links below are provided for those wishing to learn more about ebooks.
The following is a list of ebook collections applicable to Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies. 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.
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).
You will need your Oxford Single Sign On credentials to access the list.
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.
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: