Using the Social Science Library

A student working in the Social Science Library

Admission

  • All University members and Bodleian Reader card holders may use the Social Science Library. You can swipe your card at our entry gate to access the library.  
  • External readers may also visit the SSL to consult material within the library. However, many of our e-resources are not accessible to external readers.
  • If you would like to enter the library as a visitor, visit the SSL issue desk and staff will arrange a day pass for you. You will need to present a form of photo ID, such as passport, driver's licence or a university card from your home institution. A maximum of 3 day passes may be issued per person per year.
  • Find out more about joining the Bodleian Libraries as a Bodleian Reader.

Library welcome video

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Hello and welcome to this short introductory video to the Bodleian Social Science Library, or the SSL for short. 

The SSL is one of the largest libraries in Oxford and we are open to all students and staff at the University, as well as holders of a Bodleian Readers card.

The library is located in the Manor Road Building, which you’ll find between the St Cross Building and St Catherine’s College, by the river Cherwell.

The building also houses the Department of Economics, and the Department of Politics and International Relations.

You’ll find the entrance to the Library on the ground floor.

Here are some photos of the inside of our library. 

You can see that we have a wide variety of study spaces, ranging from open plan to individual study carrels, plus a range of ergonomic furniture and equipment, such as height adjustable desks.

We also have two Discussion Rooms that are available to book for group work.

We have around 250,000 books at the SSL on a range of subjects. 

We also have extensive collections of academic journals and statistical publications, as well as a special collection on refugee studies.

As well as our physical collections, you can also find an extensive range of social science eBooks, eJournals and databases on our library catalogue SOLO.

You are welcome to bring bottled water and hot drinks in KeepCups into the library. Food is not allowed. However, there are plenty of spaces to enjoy refreshments in and close to the building. There is a café on the first floor and there are vending machines on the balcony area behind the café. There is a water fountain behind the main reception area of the building.

If you would like to take a break outside there are picnic benches and some additional seating outside the front of the building. 

You could also enjoy a walk nearby in the meadows behind St Catherine’s College or the University Parks.

Our Subject Librarians are here to help you with your research. Contact them for a research appointment and you can find more information on our online Subject & Research Guides.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask us. Visit our website, send us an email or talk to one of our friendly staff at the library desk. We look forward to welcoming you and hope you enjoy your time in Oxford.
 

Rules and regulations

The Bodleian Libraries Regulations and Rules of Conduct apply in this library. Please note the following local rules:

  • Please keep your belongings with you at all times.  
  • The library operates a strict no food and drink policy, except for bottled water and drinks in reusable cups with a lid, e.g. KeepCups.

General information

  • View a floormap of the library (PDF, 252KB) or take our virtual tour.
  • The library has one main issue desk, for borrowing and returning books, collecting reserved books, borrowing equipment and stationery, and queries about using library facilities and resources.
  • Lockers are available behind the main building reception. Padlocks can be borrowed from the issue desk on short loan.

Closing routine

  • A bell is rung 20 minutes before library closing to alert readers that the library will soon close.  
  • Please return closed stack books to the desk and check out books for loan in good time before the library closes to avoid queues building up at closing time.  
  • Rooms booked in the evening or at weekends will shut 15 minutes before library closing time.

Layout and classification

The SSL uses the Library of Congress classification scheme to classify books by subject matter. Our book collection is arranged along one side of the library by shelfmark in an A-Z sequence. Our Library of Congress Classification Guide (PDF, 27 KB) lists the major subject areas on the library shelves.  

If you are interested in a topic, our Subject Browsing Guide (PDF, 677 KB) can help you find the shelfmark which corresponds to that topic. For more information about resources in your subject area, visit our subject guides.

You can find an item’s shelfmark on its SOLO record. Our guide to Library of Congress shelfmarks (PDF, 156 KB) can help you to understand a shelf mark.

Once you have finished using a book, please return it to the relevant shelving trolley. Staff can then re-shelve it for use by the next reader. One shelving trolley is designated for ‘library use only’ books, as they are shelved as a priority daily.  If you are not sure where to put your books, please ask a member of staff.

 

The SSL’s collection of printed academic journals and serials is organized alphabetically by title on the east side of the library. The shelfmark on SOLO displays as ‘Per A’, ‘Per B’, and so on. (‘Per’ is an abbreviation of ‘Periodical’). If a print version of a journal is not available on our shelves, we may now be receiving it through electronic legal deposit. Current issues of selected journals are displayed in the main aisle of the library.

 

The SSL holds a collection of working papers in Criminology, Economics, International Development, Politics & International Relations, Refugee Studies and Social Policy & Social Work. Most can be found on SOLO, indexed either by the name of the series or the title of the individual working paper.  

Papers have the shelfmark ‘D+WP’ and are kept in the Discussion and Working Papers section. All papers are arranged in a single sequence, alphabetically by institution, e.g. papers issued by the IMF will be shelved under ‘I’ (International). They are then filed alphabetically by series, then by number.

 

The SSL holds selected hard copies of theses and dissertations selected by the departments it supports. These are all indexed on SOLO and kept in the Theses and Dissertations section of the library, next to the Periodicals and Journals.

Dissertations and theses are arranged by department name (eg Criminology), course name (eg Criminology and Criminal Justice), qualification level (eg MSc), year of submission, and finally the first three letters of the author's name (eg CRI.CCJ.MSc 2002 GIL).

When searching for theses of a specific degree on SOLO, you should include punctuation in your search terms, and filter using the Material Type/Resource Type = “Dissertations/Theses”.
For example, search for "criminology M.Sc." rather than "criminology MSc".

Further tips for searching for theses in SOLO.

Some departmental websites list titles of theses submitted for their courses. If your department does not, it is worth asking the administrator if it is possible to list these online.  

Selected dissertations and theses are held for the following departments and courses:

  • Criminology (CRI):
    • Criminology and Criminal Justice (MSc): 2002–2012, 2018
  • Economics (ECO):
    • Economics (MPhil): 2000–2019
  • Geography (GEO):
    • Undergraduate prizewinning dissertations: 1999–2020
    • MSc dissertations: 2017 only
  • Oxford Department of International Development (ODID) (formerly known as the International Development Centre (IDC):
    • Development Studies (MPhil): 1998–
    • Economics for Development (MSc): 1992–
    • Forced Migration (MSc): 2003–2011
    • Global Governance and Diplomacy (MSc): 2014–
    • Migration Studies (MSc): 2011–
    • Refugee and Forced Migration Studies (MSc): 2012–
  • Social and Cultural Anthropology (SCA):
    • Social and Cultural Anthropology (DPhil): 1936–2012
    • Social and Cultural Anthropology (MPhil): 1986–2015
    • Medical Anthropology (MPhil): 2003–2012
  • Sociology (SOC):
    • Sociology (DPhil): 1995–2001
    • Sociology (MPhil): 1988–1998
  • Social Policy & Intervention (SPI):
    • Comparative Social Policy (MPhil): 2011–
    • Comparative Social Policy (MSc): 2011–
    • Evidence-Based Social Intervention (MPhil): 2012–2014
    • Evidence-Based Social Intervention (MSc): 2011–2014
    • Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation (MPhil): 2015–
    • Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation (MSc): 2015–

Authors’ copyright of theses is strictly protected. Find out more about restrictions on copying theses.  

Oxford University theses in the SSL are for library use only. Theses from other universities, which are classified according to Library of Congress Classification and shelved in the main library collection, may be borrowed.

 

A small reference collection (shelfmarks beginning ‘REF’) including encyclopaedias and dictionaries is located opposite the issue desk. 

 

There is a new research books display at the end of the issue desk. The display includes both legal deposit material relating to the social sciences and purchased books recommended by the library's subject consultants in both print and e-book formats.