Bodleian Law Library
Encyclopedia
The Bodleian Law Library (BLL) is an academic library
in Oxford
, England
. It is part of Oxford University, the Bodleian Libraries
and is also the library of the Faculty of Law. It is situated in the Grade II-listed St Cross Building on St Cross Road
in Holywell
.
It is one of the largest open-access law libraries in Europe
. Opened in 1964, it now contains over 450,000 volumes on 16,000 linear metres of shelving, and is housed in purpose-built library accommodation designed by the distinguished architects Sir Leslie Martin and Colin St John Wilson
.
The BLL benefits from the Bodleian's status as a library of legal deposit
, by which the BLL has the right to claim a copy of any printed legal material published in the United Kingdom
or Ireland
. Together with its position as an official Documentation Centre for the European Union
and its significant expenditure on foreign legal materials, this means that the BLL adds more than 10,000 new items to its stock each year.
The BLL serves a wide and expanding range of university and external readers. Its primary 'client' base is the University of Oxford
's Faculty of Law which, with over 1,100 undergraduate and postgraduate students and 80 academic staff, is the largest law faculty in the United Kingdom. At the same time, and because of its legal deposit status, the BLL is also used extensively by legal firms, lawyers, and individual researchers from both home and abroad.
The BLL collection supports the teaching and research of Law at the University of Oxford, and shares Criminology and Socio-Legal Studies with the Social Science Library
. The St Cross Building is adjacent to the Social Science Building in Manor Road, which houses the Social Sciences departments, including the Economics Department, as well as the Social Science Library.
It receives over 2,000 serial
titles per annum, including law reports, legislation, journals and looseleaf services from all the jurisdictions held in the collection. The BLL holds several special collections, including rare books, the Viner collection, the Bandar Collection of Islamic Law
, and the Kahn-Freund collection of labour law
material.
Readers have access to all leading UK legal databases, together with a large number of foreign legal databases, supporting the research undertaken by members of the faculty. Network printing, scanning and photocopying are provided.
There is a Graduate Reading Room. This area occupies a separate wing, and provides students with ethernet
access, several PCs, and wireless access for laptops.
The BLL has a total of 40 PCs for reader use. The PCs in the Freshfields IT room on the lower floor and in the Gallery computer room require readers to log in, but there are a few PCs for searching the catalogue on each floor. Wireless access for laptop computers is provided throughout most areas of the library and is accessed using the same login as the library PCs.
The Baker McKenzie room is available for student use for group discussion, as well as facilities which are offered on a shared basis.
Academic library
An academic library is a library that is attached to academic institutions above the secondary level, serving the teaching and research needs of students and staff...
in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is part of Oxford University, the Bodleian Libraries
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
and is also the library of the Faculty of Law. It is situated in the Grade II-listed St Cross Building on St Cross Road
St Cross Road
St Cross Road is a road in Oxford, England. It connects South Parks Road to the north and Longwall Street to the south, where it also adjoins Holywell Street....
in Holywell
Holywell, Oxfordshire
Holywell is a parish in Oxford, England. The toponym is derived from the well of Saint Winifred and Saint Margaret.-See also:* Holywell Cemetery* Holywell Manor* Holywell Music Room* Holywell Street...
.
It is one of the largest open-access law libraries in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Opened in 1964, it now contains over 450,000 volumes on 16,000 linear metres of shelving, and is housed in purpose-built library accommodation designed by the distinguished architects Sir Leslie Martin and Colin St John Wilson
Colin St John Wilson
Sir Colin Alexander St John Wilson, FRIBA, RA, was a British architect, lecturer and author. He spent over 30 years progressing the project to build a new British Library in London, originally planned to be built in Bloomsbury and now completed near Kings Cross.-Early and private life:Wilson was...
.
The BLL benefits from the Bodleian's status as a library of legal deposit
Legal deposit
Legal deposit is a legal requirement that a person or group submit copies of their publications to a repository, usually a library. The requirement is mostly limited to books and periodicals. The number of copies varies and can range from one to 19 . Typically, the national library is one of the...
, by which the BLL has the right to claim a copy of any printed legal material published in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
or Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. Together with its position as an official Documentation Centre for the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and its significant expenditure on foreign legal materials, this means that the BLL adds more than 10,000 new items to its stock each year.
The BLL serves a wide and expanding range of university and external readers. Its primary 'client' base is the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
's Faculty of Law which, with over 1,100 undergraduate and postgraduate students and 80 academic staff, is the largest law faculty in the United Kingdom. At the same time, and because of its legal deposit status, the BLL is also used extensively by legal firms, lawyers, and individual researchers from both home and abroad.
The BLL collection supports the teaching and research of Law at the University of Oxford, and shares Criminology and Socio-Legal Studies with the Social Science Library
Social Science Library, Oxford
The Bodleian Social Science Library, Oxford is the main teaching social sciences lending library at the University of Oxford, England. The library supports taught programmes for both undergraduates and postgraduates, and houses a dedicated research collection part of which contains legal deposit...
. The St Cross Building is adjacent to the Social Science Building in Manor Road, which houses the Social Sciences departments, including the Economics Department, as well as the Social Science Library.
Collection
The BLL collection has been built up over a period of four centuries, both from the legal deposit intake, and from specific purchases based on recommendations from academics and researchers alike. The core primary legal materials for the UK, the Commonwealth countries, the US, the EU, individual European countries, and international law are collected on an ongoing basis, together with key legal texts for all jurisdictions. The BLL holds full sets of previous editions of major UK legal monographs on the open shelves.It receives over 2,000 serial
Periodical publication
Periodical literature is a published work that appears in a new edition on a regular schedule. The most familiar examples are the newspaper, often published daily, or weekly; or the magazine, typically published weekly, monthly or as a quarterly...
titles per annum, including law reports, legislation, journals and looseleaf services from all the jurisdictions held in the collection. The BLL holds several special collections, including rare books, the Viner collection, the Bandar Collection of Islamic Law
Islamic law
Islamic law can refer to:*Sharia: The code of conduct enjoined upon Muslims in the Quran*Fiqh: Muslim jurisprudence...
, and the Kahn-Freund collection of labour law
Labour law
Labour law is the body of laws, administrative rulings, and precedents which address the legal rights of, and restrictions on, working people and their organizations. As such, it mediates many aspects of the relationship between trade unions, employers and employees...
material.
Readers have access to all leading UK legal databases, together with a large number of foreign legal databases, supporting the research undertaken by members of the faculty. Network printing, scanning and photocopying are provided.
Facilities
The BLL was designed to hold the law collection of the Bodleian Library on open access shelves, ensuring ready access at all times to scholars. Seating is provided for 430 readers, with over one third of seats reserved for postgraduate student use.There is a Graduate Reading Room. This area occupies a separate wing, and provides students with ethernet
Ethernet
Ethernet is a family of computer networking technologies for local area networks commercially introduced in 1980. Standardized in IEEE 802.3, Ethernet has largely replaced competing wired LAN technologies....
access, several PCs, and wireless access for laptops.
The BLL has a total of 40 PCs for reader use. The PCs in the Freshfields IT room on the lower floor and in the Gallery computer room require readers to log in, but there are a few PCs for searching the catalogue on each floor. Wireless access for laptop computers is provided throughout most areas of the library and is accessed using the same login as the library PCs.
The Baker McKenzie room is available for student use for group discussion, as well as facilities which are offered on a shared basis.