In light of the April 2025 UK Supreme Court ruling on the interpretation of “sex”, Oxford Brookes Library would like to reaffirm its commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion within our practices and collections. As set out in our Collection Development Policy, we will continue to add resources to our collections from historically marginalized groups, …
Continue reading Oxford Brookes Library’s message for Pride month
What's the best way to find out what new books have just arrived in our libraries? One easy way is to look at the New Books displays, which you'll find in all of our libraries. Feel free to take any of these books off the display shelves, read them in the library or borrow them …
This week Hazel reviews Starling House by Alix E. Harrow. Hazel says: "I picked this book up from the library not entirely sure I would like it. Reviews online had led me to believe it was more of a gothic romance than a gothic horror (and romance isn't really my thing) but they were entirely …
This week Claire reviews Kitty Cat Kill Sat by Argus. Claire says: "Lily ad-Alice is a 400-year old, super-intelligent cat who owns a space station orbiting a post- apocalyptic Earth. Lily spends her time using the space station’s extensive weapons array to shoot down weird creatures that threaten the surviving humans, and also sometimes shooting …
This week Annabel reviews Room by Emma Donoghue. Annabel says: "Room is told from the perspective of Jack, a five year old boy who lives in Room with his Ma. Both are being kept captive by Old Nick who visits Ma at night while Jack sleeps in Wardrobe. Jack knows very little about Outside and …
This week Geoff reviews Moby Dick by Herman Melville. Geoff says: "I have just finished reading Moby Dick which is an absolute tome of a book. I first tried reading it in about 1982 but abandoned it just after the 100th page. I picked it up again about 6 months ago and it has entertained me …
Aaron has been reading We can do better than this : 35 voices on the future of LGBTQ+ rights edited by Amelia Abraham. He says: "In this edited book, 35 LGBTQ+ people write about their thoughts on how we can continue achieving progress at a time when LGBTQ+ people face renewed attempts at discrimination, ostracization …
Continue reading What are we reading: We can do better than this
Beth has been reading Life as a unicorn: a journey from shame to pride and everything in between by Amrou Al-Kadhi. They say: "The iconic British-Iraqi drag performer, writer and film-maker Amrou Al-Kadhi (aka Glamrou) tells their story in their own words. Amrou paints a vivid picture of growing up in a wealthy Arab and …
Jayne has been reading Rosewater by Liv Little. She says: "I’ve recently suggested some books for the Brookes LGBTQ+ Resources reading list, one of which was Rosewater by Liv Little. The LGBTQ+ Staff Forum invited Liv Little to be the guest speaker for our LGBTQ+ History Month Lecture in February 2021, where she discussed her …
June is Pride Month, and Oxford Pride celebrates its 21st anniversay on Saturday 08 June. Whether you want to educate yourself, relax with some fiction or even watch a film, then our LGBTQ+ resources guide is bursting with ideas. If you prefer to flick through a selection of print books rather than an online list, …
The important thing when writing bibliographies is that references are: Correct Complete Consistent For courses at Oxford Brookes that use the Harvard referencing style, we strongly encourage using Cite Them Right or Cite Them Right Online for guidance on compiling your references. Each type of information source has its own referencing guidelines, so be sure …
Continue reading Referencing archive materials using Harvard style
With the imminent move of Wheatley Campus Library to Headington, we’ve been reflecting on the Library’s bygone days and exploring some of the artefacts from its 60-year history. The silver trowel This silver trowel was used in the Ceremony of the Stone held on 26 September 1964 to mark the setting of the foundation stone …
Continue reading Wheatley Campus – Treasures from the archive
What's happening? The university will be moving its remaining activity from the Wheatley campus during the summer vacation. But what is happening to the library? The books, journals and dissertations that are currently held in the Wheatley Library will be transferred to the Headington Library. It’s been a big project at Headington, making space for …
Continue reading How will the closure of Wheatley campus affect library services?
The largest building on Headington campus (and home of Headington library) is the John Henry Brookes building, or JHB to its friends. But who was John Henry Brookes? John Henry Brookes, OBE (1891-1975) was an English craftsman, artist, educator and administrator. His art training and craft workshop experience encouraged him to apply for and secure …
This week, Charlie reviews The Sentinel by Lee Childs. Find out more about our What we are reading series here. "Brampton picked up the book in the charity shop. She knew people loved Jack Reacher thrillers but had never read one. Until now. There is lots of action. And fights. And curious verb-less short sentences. Brampton had …
This week, Sandra reviews Touching the void by Joe Simpson. Find out more about our What we are reading series here. "My admiration for alpine mountaineering drew me to this book. It's a gripping true account of Joe and Simon's successful attempt to be the first to reach the summit of the Siula Grande in the Peruvian …
This week, Robert reviews Cardiff, by the sea by Joyce Carol Oates. Find out more about our What we are reading series here. "It's always great to discover a 'new' author you like who has actually been around for quite a while and has written a lot! On a recent trip to my local library in Maidenhead where …
This week, Annabel reviews Before the coffee gets cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. Find out more about our What we are reading series here. "I’ve been dabbling in translated fiction recently, inspired by the International Booker Prize, with varying levels of success. The first book I read, The Discomfort of Evening – winner in 2020, was enough to …
Continue reading What are we reading: Before the coffee gets cold
This week, John reviews Black Victorians / Black Victoriana by Gretchen Gerzina. Find out more about our What we are reading series here. "I borrowed this specifically for the chapter on ‘Pablo Fanque, Black Circus Proprietor’ (Beatles aficionados will understand). Fanque, real name William Darby, was clearly an impressive fellow, rising through the ranks during the 1830s …
Continue reading What are we reading: Black Victorians/Black Victoriana
Brookes Union have surveyed Black and BIPOC students as part of their Mind the Gap campaign. Some of those surveyed noted a lack of diverse content and literature. In response, the Library has strived to deliver more diverse resources - but we need you to tell us how we’ve done, and what we can do …
Continue reading Equality, Diversity & Inclusion – we need your views!
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