Taylor Institution Library (Taylorian)
@tayoxford.bsky.social
Taylor Institution Library, part of the Bodleian Libraries at Oxford. Covers modern European languages & literatures with a teaching collection and specialist research collection.
https://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/libraries/taylor
https://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/libraries/taylor
This week's #TopTipThursTAY - vacation loans!
Plan on reading much over Christmas vacation?
Starting Monday, any loanable Taylor material and some eligible loanable offsite items will have a vacation loan applied to them- so you won't have to worry about returning things over the break.
Plan on reading much over Christmas vacation?
Starting Monday, any loanable Taylor material and some eligible loanable offsite items will have a vacation loan applied to them- so you won't have to worry about returning things over the break.
November 27, 2025 at 4:17 PM
This week's #TopTipThursTAY - vacation loans!
Plan on reading much over Christmas vacation?
Starting Monday, any loanable Taylor material and some eligible loanable offsite items will have a vacation loan applied to them- so you won't have to worry about returning things over the break.
Plan on reading much over Christmas vacation?
Starting Monday, any loanable Taylor material and some eligible loanable offsite items will have a vacation loan applied to them- so you won't have to worry about returning things over the break.
"An eerie tale of an uncertain, unnamed young woman who marries a recent widower. She moves into his grand house in the English countryside, and is confronted by lingering sinister reminders of his recently deceased wife, Rebecca."
– Jules, Graduate Trainee, reading ‘Rebecca’ by Daphne du Maurier
– Jules, Graduate Trainee, reading ‘Rebecca’ by Daphne du Maurier
November 19, 2025 at 12:01 PM
"An eerie tale of an uncertain, unnamed young woman who marries a recent widower. She moves into his grand house in the English countryside, and is confronted by lingering sinister reminders of his recently deceased wife, Rebecca."
– Jules, Graduate Trainee, reading ‘Rebecca’ by Daphne du Maurier
– Jules, Graduate Trainee, reading ‘Rebecca’ by Daphne du Maurier
"Partly a novel about the decline of the Irish 'big house', William Trevor switches between characters with astonishing skill, building a picture of profound resonance, humanity and compassion."
- Frank Egerton, Head of Reader Services, reading ‘The Story of Lucy Gault’ by William Trevor.
- Frank Egerton, Head of Reader Services, reading ‘The Story of Lucy Gault’ by William Trevor.
November 19, 2025 at 12:01 PM
"Partly a novel about the decline of the Irish 'big house', William Trevor switches between characters with astonishing skill, building a picture of profound resonance, humanity and compassion."
- Frank Egerton, Head of Reader Services, reading ‘The Story of Lucy Gault’ by William Trevor.
- Frank Egerton, Head of Reader Services, reading ‘The Story of Lucy Gault’ by William Trevor.
“A novel of metafictional madness, written in the form of three dictionaries (one Christian sources, one Islamic, one Jewish). There's a reincarnation murder-mystery plot running throughout too.”
– Gareth, Reader Services Supervisor, reading ‘The Dictionary of the Khazars’ by Milorad Pavic.
– Gareth, Reader Services Supervisor, reading ‘The Dictionary of the Khazars’ by Milorad Pavic.
November 19, 2025 at 12:01 PM
“A novel of metafictional madness, written in the form of three dictionaries (one Christian sources, one Islamic, one Jewish). There's a reincarnation murder-mystery plot running throughout too.”
– Gareth, Reader Services Supervisor, reading ‘The Dictionary of the Khazars’ by Milorad Pavic.
– Gareth, Reader Services Supervisor, reading ‘The Dictionary of the Khazars’ by Milorad Pavic.
"I'm currently reading 'Dracula' by Bram Stoker, inspired by Halloween, and am also going back to my history student roots and reading 'Mantel Pieces' by Hilary Mantel. I alternate between reading fiction and non-fiction, but due to Halloween decided to do both at once!"
– Megan, Library Assistant
– Megan, Library Assistant
November 19, 2025 at 12:01 PM
"I'm currently reading 'Dracula' by Bram Stoker, inspired by Halloween, and am also going back to my history student roots and reading 'Mantel Pieces' by Hilary Mantel. I alternate between reading fiction and non-fiction, but due to Halloween decided to do both at once!"
– Megan, Library Assistant
– Megan, Library Assistant
“The true-ish story of Tarare, a 18th century French peasant with an endless appetite. Reads like a Hieronymus Bosch painting, with vivid descriptions of the smells, tastes and violence of the time. Not to be read when you're eating.”
- Olly, Graduate Trainee, 'The Glutton' by A.K. Blakemore.
- Olly, Graduate Trainee, 'The Glutton' by A.K. Blakemore.
November 19, 2025 at 12:01 PM
“The true-ish story of Tarare, a 18th century French peasant with an endless appetite. Reads like a Hieronymus Bosch painting, with vivid descriptions of the smells, tastes and violence of the time. Not to be read when you're eating.”
- Olly, Graduate Trainee, 'The Glutton' by A.K. Blakemore.
- Olly, Graduate Trainee, 'The Glutton' by A.K. Blakemore.
"A guide to how storytelling developed, from Viking sagas to Austen. It goes through how the style of storytelling has developed. He picks out people who were ahead of the common practice, and it's not always who you think."
– David, Premises team, ‘A History of Story-Telling’ by Arthur Ransome.
– David, Premises team, ‘A History of Story-Telling’ by Arthur Ransome.
November 19, 2025 at 12:01 PM
"A guide to how storytelling developed, from Viking sagas to Austen. It goes through how the style of storytelling has developed. He picks out people who were ahead of the common practice, and it's not always who you think."
– David, Premises team, ‘A History of Story-Telling’ by Arthur Ransome.
– David, Premises team, ‘A History of Story-Telling’ by Arthur Ransome.
“This is a schlocky, 1000 page brick of genre fiction. Space vampires try to restore their lost empire through excessive violence. I wouldn't have it any other way. 10/10 cosy autumn comfort read.”
– Morgan, Library Assistant, reading ‘The Night Lords Omnibus’ by Aaron Dembski-Bowden.
– Morgan, Library Assistant, reading ‘The Night Lords Omnibus’ by Aaron Dembski-Bowden.
November 19, 2025 at 12:01 PM
“This is a schlocky, 1000 page brick of genre fiction. Space vampires try to restore their lost empire through excessive violence. I wouldn't have it any other way. 10/10 cosy autumn comfort read.”
– Morgan, Library Assistant, reading ‘The Night Lords Omnibus’ by Aaron Dembski-Bowden.
– Morgan, Library Assistant, reading ‘The Night Lords Omnibus’ by Aaron Dembski-Bowden.
“A fun seasonal read about a bunch of odd characters gathering in preparation for a mysterious full moon ritual on Halloween. The narrator and protagonist is a watchdog who is involved in these preparations.”
– Francesca, Library Assistant, ‘A Night in the Lonesome October’ by Roger Zelazny.
– Francesca, Library Assistant, ‘A Night in the Lonesome October’ by Roger Zelazny.
November 19, 2025 at 12:01 PM
“A fun seasonal read about a bunch of odd characters gathering in preparation for a mysterious full moon ritual on Halloween. The narrator and protagonist is a watchdog who is involved in these preparations.”
– Francesca, Library Assistant, ‘A Night in the Lonesome October’ by Roger Zelazny.
– Francesca, Library Assistant, ‘A Night in the Lonesome October’ by Roger Zelazny.
"A collection of short stories set in mid-century America during deep winter. It's all about how being in deep snow warps your reality. Things that begin in reality don't end that way."
– Matt, Premises team, reading ‘In the Heart of the Heart of the Country’ by William H. Gass.
– Matt, Premises team, reading ‘In the Heart of the Heart of the Country’ by William H. Gass.
November 19, 2025 at 12:01 PM
"A collection of short stories set in mid-century America during deep winter. It's all about how being in deep snow warps your reality. Things that begin in reality don't end that way."
– Matt, Premises team, reading ‘In the Heart of the Heart of the Country’ by William H. Gass.
– Matt, Premises team, reading ‘In the Heart of the Heart of the Country’ by William H. Gass.
Calling all French language and literature enthusiasts!🥐📚
Visit @mfoxford.bsky.social this Friday for an exciting one-day conference: 'Languages and literatures of the Francophone world in libraries and archives'
Full details here: mfo.web.ox.ac.uk/event/study-...
Visit @mfoxford.bsky.social this Friday for an exciting one-day conference: 'Languages and literatures of the Francophone world in libraries and archives'
Full details here: mfo.web.ox.ac.uk/event/study-...
November 18, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Calling all French language and literature enthusiasts!🥐📚
Visit @mfoxford.bsky.social this Friday for an exciting one-day conference: 'Languages and literatures of the Francophone world in libraries and archives'
Full details here: mfo.web.ox.ac.uk/event/study-...
Visit @mfoxford.bsky.social this Friday for an exciting one-day conference: 'Languages and literatures of the Francophone world in libraries and archives'
Full details here: mfo.web.ox.ac.uk/event/study-...
Alternatively, if you already know which database you would like to look at, you can access it through SOLO.
Log into SOLO, and then search for the title of the database. Click on the record it brings up, and then the blue link that appears under 'View online'.
Log into SOLO, and then search for the title of the database. Click on the record it brings up, and then the blue link that appears under 'View online'.
November 13, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Alternatively, if you already know which database you would like to look at, you can access it through SOLO.
Log into SOLO, and then search for the title of the database. Click on the record it brings up, and then the blue link that appears under 'View online'.
Log into SOLO, and then search for the title of the database. Click on the record it brings up, and then the blue link that appears under 'View online'.
As you can see, we have subscriptions to 1,854 databases to help with your research!
The LibGuide is a great way to discover helpful databases you may not have known about, as well as allowing you to easily access them.
The LibGuide is a great way to discover helpful databases you may not have known about, as well as allowing you to easily access them.
November 13, 2025 at 4:08 PM
As you can see, we have subscriptions to 1,854 databases to help with your research!
The LibGuide is a great way to discover helpful databases you may not have known about, as well as allowing you to easily access them.
The LibGuide is a great way to discover helpful databases you may not have known about, as well as allowing you to easily access them.
🎂 Celebrating 50 years of the Voltaire Room 🎂
To celebrate 50 years of our Voltaire Room, we are hosting a show-and-tell event to present some of our 18th century French books, which were acquired through the Barber fund.
Please do come and join us!
📍Voltaire Room
📅 Friday 14th November
⏰2-3:15pm
To celebrate 50 years of our Voltaire Room, we are hosting a show-and-tell event to present some of our 18th century French books, which were acquired through the Barber fund.
Please do come and join us!
📍Voltaire Room
📅 Friday 14th November
⏰2-3:15pm
November 11, 2025 at 3:13 PM
🎂 Celebrating 50 years of the Voltaire Room 🎂
To celebrate 50 years of our Voltaire Room, we are hosting a show-and-tell event to present some of our 18th century French books, which were acquired through the Barber fund.
Please do come and join us!
📍Voltaire Room
📅 Friday 14th November
⏰2-3:15pm
To celebrate 50 years of our Voltaire Room, we are hosting a show-and-tell event to present some of our 18th century French books, which were acquired through the Barber fund.
Please do come and join us!
📍Voltaire Room
📅 Friday 14th November
⏰2-3:15pm
🏅Hungarian Nobel Prize Winner Display🏅
Our new display at the issue desk honours Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai, who recently won the Nobel Prize for Literature.
The display also features Imre Kertész, who won the same prize in 2002.
Most books can be borrowed, just ask us at the desk!
Our new display at the issue desk honours Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai, who recently won the Nobel Prize for Literature.
The display also features Imre Kertész, who won the same prize in 2002.
Most books can be borrowed, just ask us at the desk!
November 7, 2025 at 4:58 PM
🏅Hungarian Nobel Prize Winner Display🏅
Our new display at the issue desk honours Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai, who recently won the Nobel Prize for Literature.
The display also features Imre Kertész, who won the same prize in 2002.
Most books can be borrowed, just ask us at the desk!
Our new display at the issue desk honours Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai, who recently won the Nobel Prize for Literature.
The display also features Imre Kertész, who won the same prize in 2002.
Most books can be borrowed, just ask us at the desk!
Happy Halloween from us all at the Taylor Institution Library! 🎃
Why not pick up a Halloween Read from our display by the Enquiries Desk on the second floor 🦇🕷️🕸️
Why not pick up a Halloween Read from our display by the Enquiries Desk on the second floor 🦇🕷️🕸️
October 31, 2025 at 10:17 AM
Happy Halloween from us all at the Taylor Institution Library! 🎃
Why not pick up a Halloween Read from our display by the Enquiries Desk on the second floor 🦇🕷️🕸️
Why not pick up a Halloween Read from our display by the Enquiries Desk on the second floor 🦇🕷️🕸️
4) the Voltaire Room ⚜️
❌💧☕🥪🍜
No food or drink at all in this room, as it's where we have glass cases for our special collections displays, and precious 17th century books!
If you would like to drink some water, you can go into the vestibule outside the room.
❌💧☕🥪🍜
No food or drink at all in this room, as it's where we have glass cases for our special collections displays, and precious 17th century books!
If you would like to drink some water, you can go into the vestibule outside the room.
October 30, 2025 at 5:09 PM
4) the Voltaire Room ⚜️
❌💧☕🥪🍜
No food or drink at all in this room, as it's where we have glass cases for our special collections displays, and precious 17th century books!
If you would like to drink some water, you can go into the vestibule outside the room.
❌💧☕🥪🍜
No food or drink at all in this room, as it's where we have glass cases for our special collections displays, and precious 17th century books!
If you would like to drink some water, you can go into the vestibule outside the room.
3) the Research Collection and Main Reading Room ✒️
✅💧bottled water only
Now on to our no-snacking or coffee-ing areas!
Nice and simple, this rule is because of the many beautiful old books and spaces we have here.
✅💧bottled water only
Now on to our no-snacking or coffee-ing areas!
Nice and simple, this rule is because of the many beautiful old books and spaces we have here.
October 30, 2025 at 5:09 PM
3) the Research Collection and Main Reading Room ✒️
✅💧bottled water only
Now on to our no-snacking or coffee-ing areas!
Nice and simple, this rule is because of the many beautiful old books and spaces we have here.
✅💧bottled water only
Now on to our no-snacking or coffee-ing areas!
Nice and simple, this rule is because of the many beautiful old books and spaces we have here.
2) the Teaching Collection and Graduate Reading Room📚
Here, you can have bottled water and also KeepCups or similar of hot beverages.
✅💧☕ yes to water, and secure flasks
❌🥪🍜 no food please, and no takeaway cups with insecure lids
Here, you can have bottled water and also KeepCups or similar of hot beverages.
✅💧☕ yes to water, and secure flasks
❌🥪🍜 no food please, and no takeaway cups with insecure lids
October 30, 2025 at 5:09 PM
2) the Teaching Collection and Graduate Reading Room📚
Here, you can have bottled water and also KeepCups or similar of hot beverages.
✅💧☕ yes to water, and secure flasks
❌🥪🍜 no food please, and no takeaway cups with insecure lids
Here, you can have bottled water and also KeepCups or similar of hot beverages.
✅💧☕ yes to water, and secure flasks
❌🥪🍜 no food please, and no takeaway cups with insecure lids
1) the Common Room! ✅🥪🍜💧☕
This cosy space (recently revamped with new artwork!) is the one spot in the building that you can eat and drink to your heart's content.
We also have a water fountain here! 🚰
This cosy space (recently revamped with new artwork!) is the one spot in the building that you can eat and drink to your heart's content.
We also have a water fountain here! 🚰
October 30, 2025 at 5:09 PM
1) the Common Room! ✅🥪🍜💧☕
This cosy space (recently revamped with new artwork!) is the one spot in the building that you can eat and drink to your heart's content.
We also have a water fountain here! 🚰
This cosy space (recently revamped with new artwork!) is the one spot in the building that you can eat and drink to your heart's content.
We also have a water fountain here! 🚰
This #TopTipsThursTAY, let's answer the question: can I eat/drink this in here? 🥪🍎
Generally, the answer is no - bottled water only is your best bet! If you're wondering why, see this wonderful poster via our friends at @bodartlib.bsky.social
We do have a couple exceptions though...
Generally, the answer is no - bottled water only is your best bet! If you're wondering why, see this wonderful poster via our friends at @bodartlib.bsky.social
We do have a couple exceptions though...
October 30, 2025 at 5:09 PM
This #TopTipsThursTAY, let's answer the question: can I eat/drink this in here? 🥪🍎
Generally, the answer is no - bottled water only is your best bet! If you're wondering why, see this wonderful poster via our friends at @bodartlib.bsky.social
We do have a couple exceptions though...
Generally, the answer is no - bottled water only is your best bet! If you're wondering why, see this wonderful poster via our friends at @bodartlib.bsky.social
We do have a couple exceptions though...
October has flown by! If you'd like to borrow one of our Black History Month display books, now is your chance.
Next week they'll make their way back to their homes on our shelves 📖
Next week they'll make their way back to their homes on our shelves 📖
October 28, 2025 at 9:54 AM
October has flown by! If you'd like to borrow one of our Black History Month display books, now is your chance.
Next week they'll make their way back to their homes on our shelves 📖
Next week they'll make their way back to their homes on our shelves 📖
You may have noticed that we have some new additions to the Taylorian - food recycling bins! ♻️
You'll find one in the common room, and one in the lobby. We also have dry recycling bins throughout the library.
Let's all do our best to recycle our waste this #GreenLibrariesWeek ✅
You'll find one in the common room, and one in the lobby. We also have dry recycling bins throughout the library.
Let's all do our best to recycle our waste this #GreenLibrariesWeek ✅
October 27, 2025 at 11:21 AM
You may have noticed that we have some new additions to the Taylorian - food recycling bins! ♻️
You'll find one in the common room, and one in the lobby. We also have dry recycling bins throughout the library.
Let's all do our best to recycle our waste this #GreenLibrariesWeek ✅
You'll find one in the common room, and one in the lobby. We also have dry recycling bins throughout the library.
Let's all do our best to recycle our waste this #GreenLibrariesWeek ✅
📙Here you can choose your pickup location- choose whichever library works best for you. Then send your request and you’ll be emailed when it has arrived at your chosen library.
📗Your book will be with us the next weekday after you request it, or the same day if you order early in the morning!
📗Your book will be with us the next weekday after you request it, or the same day if you order early in the morning!
October 23, 2025 at 12:00 PM
📙Here you can choose your pickup location- choose whichever library works best for you. Then send your request and you’ll be emailed when it has arrived at your chosen library.
📗Your book will be with us the next weekday after you request it, or the same day if you order early in the morning!
📗Your book will be with us the next weekday after you request it, or the same day if you order early in the morning!
📘This book is held at the offsite storage and is available, ie. No one else has requested it. Click on it and you’ll see if it’s loanable or in-library use only- this one is loanable!
📕Now you can use the Request Options button.
📕Now you can use the Request Options button.
October 23, 2025 at 12:00 PM
📘This book is held at the offsite storage and is available, ie. No one else has requested it. Click on it and you’ll see if it’s loanable or in-library use only- this one is loanable!
📕Now you can use the Request Options button.
📕Now you can use the Request Options button.