The Library at All Souls College is, like all Oxford college libraries, an independent institution. Unlike most other college libraries, however,  the Library supports researchers from other colleges, the University of Oxford, and other institutions.  

The Library will pause the registration of new Readers for Trinity term 2025. Registered Readers are welcome to use the Library as usual, and any Reader who has started the registration process but has not yet completed the steps or has not yet had a card appointment will still be able to finish registration. Previously registered Readers are welcome to renew access for Trinity term.

Please note that the Library will be open to registered Readers from 10am to 5pm, Monday-Thursday, in Trinity term.

For the Easter holidays, the Library will close to Readers on Friday, 14th March at 5.30pm. The Library will reopen on Monday, 28th April, 2025 (1st week). Any Readers who urgently require use of books only held in Oxford at All Souls College should email reader.services@all-souls.ox.ac.uk to enquire about an appointment.

Requests for in-person appointments to see special collections material (early printed books, manuscripts, archival materials, maps, etc.) require a minimum of two weeks’ advance notice (ten working days) and, depending on the complexity of the requests and the condition of the materials, may require longer. Please email special.collections@all-souls.ox.ac.uk to arrange for an appointment (please include bibliographic information and/or references, and your availability).

Requests for images of special collections materials are currently taking around two working weeks to process, depending on availability and item condition, but Library Staff aim to fulfil requests as soon as possible. Please complete the image request form or email special.collections@all-souls.ox.ac.uk for further information.

A significant section of the Library’s special collections is not accessible due to building work. Library Staff will alert anyone requesting an appointment as soon as possible if an item is not available. If images for the item already exist, Library Staff will be happy to supply them. Otherwise, requests for appointments and images will be put in a queue until the items are available.

The Archives will be temporarily unstaffed beginning in late October 2024. No appointments will be available, and it will not be possible for most queries to be answered. Archive queries may be emailed to library@all-souls.ox.ac.uk, and Library Staff may have the relevant information available, but most queries will have to be held until the Archives reopen in due course. Apologies for any inconvenience.

Registered Readers who wish to continue using the Library must renew their access every academic year, but do not need to reapply:  

For those Readers with a University of Oxford affiliation, please click here for the renewal form. Please note that you will need to be signed in with your Oxford SSO (Single Sign On) to access the form.

For those Readers without a current University of Oxford affiliation, please click here for the renewal form.