We welcome requests for reference access to the Library and Archives collections from bona fide enquirers. Visitors should make an appointment with the Librarian or Archivist as appropriate before each visit – please do not come to the College without an appointment. We only have a small staff, who are also providing a service to College members, and we will need to fetch your material from a variety of different locations.
Rules for Visiting Readers LIBRARY & ARCHIVES SPECIAL COLLECTIONS ACCESS POLICY
Making an appointment
Enquirers interested in the Library’s special collections should contact the Librarian for further information and to make an appointment. Appointments for visiting readers are available Monday to Friday between 9.30am and 1pm, and between 2pm and 5pm.
Enquirers interested in the records held in the College Archives should contact the Archivist for further information and to make an appointment. Appointments are available Tuesday to Friday between 9:30am and 1pm.
When making an appointment, please try to contact us with plenty of advance notice and list the materials you wish to consult. Please note that seating and staff time for external visitors is limited, so we may not always be able to accommodate you.
Visitors will be required to provide photographic identification, such as a valid Bodleian or British Library card, university card from their home institution, passport or driving licence. We reserve the right to require letters of introduction from research students.
If you are new to using special collections in an Oxford college library or archives, the Committee of College Librarians has produced a short introductory film to give you an idea of what to expect.
Accessing our modern collections
Modern books not held in other Oxford libraries, in particular those in the Eland Collection, may be consulted in the Library at the discretion of the library staff, but not borrowed. Please make sure that you have checked all the versions of a particular book in SOLO (using the ‘View all X versions’ link) before assuming that Worcester has the only copy. Please contact the Assistant Librarian in advance of a planned visit. We regret that we do not provide an interlibrary loan service.
Accessibility
The Library is located at the top of an eighteenth-century cantilevered spiral staircase with over 60 steps. Please notify us in advance if this should present a problem and we will be happy to make alternative arrangements for you to view material elsewhere.
Photographic reproductions
The Library can provide digital and print reproductions of items in the special collections. Read more about our services and how to get in touch about your requirements.
Contact us
We’re happy to help and look forward to hearing from you. Please contact the Librarian for enquiries concerning the special collections, the Assistant Librarian for enquires about modern books and photographic requests, or the Archivist for enquiries about the College Archives and picture collection.
Our team
Fellow Librarian & Keeper of the Archives
Mark Bainbridge
Mark Bainbridge
Fellow Librarian & Keeper of the Archives
Data Protection Officer
Education
MA MPhil (Oxford), MSc (City, London)
As Librarian, I am responsible for the College’s libraries. I run the modern library for current members and care for the historic library’s special collections of manuscripts, early printed books, prints and drawings, making them available to researchers. I have been at Worcester since 2011.
Archivist & Records Manager
Emma Goodrum
Emma Goodrum
Archivist & Records Manager
Education
MA Archives & Records Management (UCL)
Emma is Worcester’s Archivist and can be contacted for enquiries about the College Archives and the College’s pictures.
Assistant Librarian
Renée Prud’Homme
Renée Prud’Homme
Assistant Librarian
Renée is Worcester’s Assistant Librarian and can be contacted for enquiries about photographic requests and modern books not held in other Oxford library collections.
