
You may have met some of Univ's fabulous librarians in freshers' week, or been eager to complement their outfit, but lacked the confidence to approach them! This post will properly introduce you, and share some insight into both their work and their favourite books.
"Hello! I’m Elizabeth, the College Librarian.
"I joined Univ as Assistant Librarian in August 2009 and became Librarian a couple of years later. I’m usually to be found in the office in the New Library. As well as advocating for the Libraries both in College and more widely, I’m responsible for the promotion and care of our Special Collections (everything from Oscar Wilde first editions to medieval manuscripts!). My job, essentially, is to make sure that the Library continues to help you in your studies. If you have any feedback about the Libraries, or any suggestions for improvements, my door is always open.
"I usually have a couple of books on the go at any time. Barbara Vine is a recent discovery: The Chimney Sweeper’s Boy was one of my favourite books of 2024. I’m just about at the end of The Birthday Present. Vine also writes crime novels under the name Ruth Rendell, but I prefer the more psychological Barbara Vine novels. I’m also reading a volume of essays by Hermione Lee about the pitfalls and challenges of writing biography. Lee ran an interesting life-writing workshop in Oxford last year which inspired me to pick up this book."
"I’m Liz, the Assistant Librarian.
"I’ve been at Univ since April 2022, and I look after the Old Library. If you need me you can normally find me in the downstairs office, or busy in the locked stack at the back of the building which is where we keep a treasure trove of slightly older material. I’m responsible for cataloguing new book purchases, and I look out for new books and resources to add to Univ’s collections. I also organise most of the Library’s social media content, so let me know if you have any book or cat pictures to share.
"Currently I’m reading Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell. I’ve just finished and loved her other novel, The Marriage Portrait, so I’m on a bit of a historical literary fiction rip at the moment. Next on the ‘to read’ list is Butter by Asako Yuzuki, which continues my earlier rip of food and murder novels that I found myself reading over the summer of 2024 – I’d recommend A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers if full-fat overindulgence and a lot of death appeals to you!"
"I’m Nicola, the Library Assistant.
"You will find me in the mornings, splitting my time between both the New and Old Libraries. I have been at Univ since September 2022 (with a break to have a baby!) and I am responsible for processing new books, making them shelf ready. I also monitor our journal and magazine subscriptions and hunt for any missing books. One of my more unusual tasks is bug hunting…I check the libraries for signs of insects or other unwelcome creatures who could jeopardise our collections! I assist with curating our displays and exhibitions, as well as any stress-busting activities, such as our colouring-in sessions.
"Like Liz, I find myself diving into historical fiction at the moment. I have just started reading Cuddy by Benjamin Myers, which was recommended to me by our Univ Poet Laureate Pireeni Sundaralingam. I am enjoying its mix of poetry and prose. I recently finished Ophelia Swam by Kelley Swain; a reimagining of Shakespeare’s character washing up at nearby Godstow Nunnery. I haven’t decided what to read next, but I often veer towards novels published by Persephone books, whose output mostly focuses on overlooked 20th Century women writers."
You can hear more from the librarians via their Instagram, their page on the univ website, or their Treasures series on the univ website.
