Sainsbury Library

Oxford Forum of Open Scholarship: 2026

The Oxford Forum of Open Scholarship - #OxFOS - returns next week (2–6 March)!

A University-wide conference for researchers, students and staff - and anyone interested in making research more open and trustworthy.

Explore this year’s topics and register now:
buff.ly/Ep3dPqW

Image shows a laptop displaying the text: BODLEIAN i.Skills. On the left of the laptop is a a pile of 4 books and above the books there is a clock.

Termly update on open scholarship, Zotero for referencing, Using Scopus for your research, and Managing research data and Data Management Planning (DMPs) are some of the @bodleian.ox.ac.uk iSkills workshops taking place this week. Book your place on these sessions here: tinyurl.com/mv7vtz79

Poster notice board in the library. The top section reads, “We’re offering a range of library workshops this term! We’d love to know what will work best for you!” with illustrations of bookshelves on either side. Below, a section titled “How do you prefer to learn? Add a dot to any that apply.” lists options: In-person workshops, Online (live), Short recorded videos, Step-by-step guides / PDFs, Drop-in sessions, and One-to-one or small group support. Coloured dot stickers are placed next to some options, and sheets of round stickers are attached to the poster.

How do you like to learn? Let us know! Find the board by the library entrance, grab some stickers put them next to your favourite learning formats!📍💻 🎥 📄 ⏱️ 👥 🔵🔴⚫

Two people in traditional attire stand beside a horse under a tree. The scene is depicted in an East Asian style painting. One person holds a stick while the other is near the horse, which has a blue harness.

新年快乐，马年吉祥 - Happy Lunar New Year, wishing you an auspicious Year of the Horse! 🐴

2026 is the year of the horse, an important motif in Chinese mythology. Our featured image is from a 16th-century album of paintings by Qian Gu (Shelfmark: MS.Chin.c.16).

Detailed watercolour illustration of the Sultanahmet Mosque in Istanbul. The building has a large central blue dome, multiple smaller domes, and tall minarets topped with crescents. Trees and smaller architectural structures appear in the foreground.

Two illuminated manuscript pages in Arabic script. Each page shows black calligraphy arranged in neat lines within a gold and coloured frame. Small circular gold medallions mark verse divisions. The pages are decorated with fine floral and geometric details in blue and gold on cream paper.

Watercolour illustration of four barefoot men walking in a line. They wear simple robes and tall white hats, and carry musical instruments including a tambourine and a drum. The figures are lightly coloured in muted tones against a plain background.

Watercolour illustration of a bearded man wearing a turban and simple garments, holding a walking staff. He leads a domesticated stag with large antlers on a rope. The stag wears a small bell around its neck. The background is plain and uncoloured.

Ramadan Mubarak 🌙

Wishing a peaceful month to our Muslim students, colleagues and Readers.

Ramadan and pilgrimage in our collections:
🕌 Sultanahmet Mosque (Bodl. Or. 430, fol 57r)
📖 Sūrat al-Baqarah, Tīpū’s Qurʾān (Bodl. Or. 793, fols 24a–24b)
🧳 Pilgrims to Mecca (Bodl. Or. 430, fols 145r & 148r)

A large digital screen inside a library displays a “Find a book” map. The screen shows a floor plan labeled “Lower Reading Room” with tables, chairs, shelves, and a “You are here” marker. On the right side is a list of shelf marks under headings “Lower Reading Room” and “Annexe.” The screen is mounted on a stand between study desks and computers, with bookshelves visible in the background and a notice board to the left.

Lost in shelf marks? 📚
Try our new “Find a book” app on the library’s interactive screen and track down what you need fast. Just ask us if you need help!

Graphic for the RSL Wellbeing Week. includes dates 16-20 February 2026

The RSL #Wellbeing Week begins next Monday. Take a moment to browse the list of activities that you can join to relax and refresh ahead of the remainder of term.

go.glam.ox.ac.uk/WBW26

A book display in the library. Visible titles include All Pride, No Ego by Jim Fielding, Redefining Realness by Janet Mock, and The Glass Closet by John Browne. To the right is a poster with a hanging lamp graphic and rainbow-colored lines reading “This year’s theme: Science & Innovation — LGBT+ History Month.” Bookshelves filled with books are visible in the background.

The Sainsbury Library is holding a book display throughout February to celebrate LGBT+ History Month. With this year’s theme being Science and Innovation, the display focuses not only on literal innovations, but also innovative ways of thinking about LGBTQ+ history.
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Day in the life of a Sainsbury Library trainee 8:00-8:40   On my journey to work, I start to think about how I’m going to organise my day. I usually try to split it into four parts, with a different project or goal for each section. It works we…

What does a day in the life of a library trainee actually look like? From supporting readers and answering enquiries to working on digital resources, research tools, and behind-the-scenes projects, this year’s trainee, offers a snapshot of daily life at the Sainsbury Library.

Bodleian Libraries GRADUATE WELCOME EVENT Exclusively for DPhil Students Tuesday 10 February 2026 6–8pm at Blackwell Hall Weston Library Register & book your free ticket by 3 February go.glam.ox.ac.uk/dphil

Get your free ticket for the DPhil Graduate Welcome Event by 3 Feb!

go.glam.ox.ac.uk/dphil

Doing a DPhil? Make sure to sign up for your free welcome event by 3rd Feb! 📚

The latest issue of The Economist magazine on display in a Sainsbury Library, showing a stylised illustrated cover depicting Donald Trump on a polar bear.

We pride ourselves on providing access to the latest business thinking.
Today’s reminder that “latest” can sometimes include… unexpected cover art. 🐻‍❄️🫣
You can always find the latest issue of The Economist at the Enquiry Desk. 📚✨

HOW TO TAKE PART Look at the library floor plan on this board Use a sticky dot to mark where you'd most like docking stations Feel free to add more than one dot

You said you'd like more monitors and docking stations in the library. Tell us where you'd like them to be located. Find the board by the library entrance, grab some stickers and mark where you'd most like docking stations on the library floor plan! 🔵🔴⚫

SAINSBURY LIBRARY. Take a breather. Find our Wellbeing Resources in the Library and Annexe.

Welcome back to the Sainsbury Library. As a new term starts, remember you can always take a breather in the library. You can find lots of useful wellbeing resources in the main library and annexe spaces. 🧩🧶

A copy of the book 'Zen Wisdom' By Abbie Headon, which has been gifted to the Sainsbury Library team.

A lovely present to the Sainsbury Library Team from our secret Santa 🤶
We're looking forward to a wiser and calmer 2026. Thank you! 😊

A sunrise in the mountains.

Happy New Year! 🎆🎉
We look forward to seeing you again in 2026 - the library will be staffed again from 9am on Monday (5th January).

The Sainsbury Library will be unstaffed from 5pm this evening. We hope you have a great vacation and we’ll see you in the new year!

Drop in for a friendly festive crochet session with the Sainsbury Library team tomorrow between 1 and 3 pm. No experience needed, and all materials are included!
buff.ly/qd1lAbu

Browzine logo - multiple colours leaping out from the pages of a book. Looks a bit like a firework

A screen shot of the Browzine home page

A screen shot of an example of a categories page for Engineering and Technology

So you're off home soon right? Can't take the library with you. Or can you? Remember to set up your BrowZine account for online access to journals licensed by @bodleian.ox.ac.uk

libguides.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/BrowZine

The front of the Oxford Saïd Park End Street building lit up with purple lights for International Day Of Persons With Disabilities and PositivelyPurple. Image enhanced with AI.

Today is International Day Of Persons With Disabilities #IDPD. Oxford Saïd is showing its support by lighting up our building #PositivelyPurple 💜!
@purplespace.bsky.social, the professional development hub for disabled employees have been leading this movement since 2017.
buff.ly/tjstH5t

Two library books decorated with crochet spring-flower bookmarks.

Join us this Friday (2:30 - 5PM) for a creative afternoon as we crochet spring-flower bookmarks.
No experience needed and all materials provided! #Wellbeing 🌸🧶📚
📍 Location: Annexe, Sainsbury Library
🕒 Time: 2:30 – 5:00 PM
📅 Date: Friday 5th December 2025
blogs.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/sainsbury/20...

Image of a clapper board being held open by a pair of hands.

Discover our film collections. Our DVD & Video collection at the SSL covers topics in Forced Migration, Development Studies, Anthropology, Politics, History & more. See our Blog post for further info, including the online film collections that @bodleian.ox.ac.uk have on SOLO. tinyurl.com/4kx6zu97

A photo of a wooden book trolley in the library. On the shelf are three neatly rolled-up grey blankets. Next to the blankets is a sign that reads, "BLANKETS" in large black letters, with a picture below it of a white cat nestled comfortably in a blue, chunky-knit blanket. Below the picture, the sign says, "More downstairs if needed." The entire image is decorated with a border of small, cartoon cat stickers.

We know it can get chilly in the Upper Reading Room! 🥶📚 We’ve got you covered - literally! Grab a cosy blanket from the book trolley and warm up while you study. More are available by the Enquiry Desk. 😺🧣

Shelf filled with various books. A question overlay asks, 'Which book would you recommend to someone learning about neurodiversity for the first time?'

What book would you recommend to someone learning about neurodiversity for the first time?

We’re updating our Space for Reading at the Weston Library and this time, the theme is Neurodiversity.

Share your book recommendations here: https://forms.office.com/e/bRHBxTXBSY

A happy entrepreneur smiling standing in an office. AI generated Image by rawpixel.

Today is the start of #GlobalEntrepreneurshipWeek. This annual event celebrates and empowers entrepreneurs around the world. This year’s theme is 'Together We Build' which focuses on community, collaboration, and shared ambition. You can find out more at: buff.ly/v8q2WYC
#TogetherWeBuild #GEW2025

Orbis logo.

We're offering a drop-in session introducing Fame and Orbis Europe on Friday 14th November (tomorrow). No need to book. Location - East Wing, Seminar room 16, 12:30 – 13:30.
This session will show you how to access company financial information, create a company and industry peer analysis.

An image of bookshelves in the library with 7 icons representing the library activities.

🌧️ With grey skies outside, explore 7 fun ways to take a break and recharge in the library this winter. 🧩📚
blogs.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/sainsbury/20...
#Libraries #Wellbeing #Hygge

SHOx and Bodleian logos

It is with great pride that I can now post this:

Our Shortform hosting service (SHOx) is now live! Go and check it out: www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/shox

Spread the news - The Bodleian is doing diamond OA!

OSEF 2025 #OSEF2025

Ahead of Global Entrepreneurship Week (17-23 November) why not sign up for the Oxford Saïd Entrepreneurship Centre's annual conference on entrepreneurship and innovation?
OSEF 2025
buff.ly/TrmuAkw
#GEW2025 #OSEF2025 #OxfordEntrepreneurship

Thank you for taking part this year! #GreenLibraries and Green Libraries Week logo on the top in a white banner. Image of three childrne lying in a field of flowers giving thumbs up to the camera

A huge thank you to all libraries and librarians for taking part in #GreenLibraries Week 2025! What a brilliant week with so many green events across the country. Send your feedback - together we will make the next Green Libraries Week even better: https://forms.office.com/e/DYZXpGZzsC