Modern History Faculty and Library

Please note: Estates will be reviewing all departments access information via departmental administrators during michealmas 2010. If, in the meantime, you would like to update your information please contact disability@admin.ox.ac.uk. As some of the information is now out of date please use caution when refering to these webpages and contact the department direct for current Access information.

Broad Street. Tel. (01865) 277262 or 277260

Modern History Faculty Website

The Modern History Faculty is situated on the corner of Catte Street and Hollywell Street. The main entrance is on Catte Street where there are six stairs with a 900 mm-high handrail to the front lobby. There are two sets of double doors at the top of the stairs. On street level there is an assistance bell at 700mm, which would ring through the porters.

Wheelchair access to the ground floor of the building is possible via a ramp at the back of the building through Hertford College entrance next door. In order to use this entrance it is best (but no essential) to phone in advance. Arrive at the main entrance and ring the assistance bell; a member of staff will then ask Hertford to open their doors to allow you through their Quad.

Once in the building it is flat access to the Faculty Office (undergraduate), Graduate Office, Common Room, two lecture rooms (Trevor-Roper and Powicke Rooms), and the Porter's Lodge. The Common Room has three computers that can be used for emailing or for carrying our searches via OLIS. All rooms have moveable furniture, natural light, and sufficient space for a wheelchair user. An internal phone (height 1400mm) is located in the corridor outside the Common Room.

There is a third lecture room in the basement, but this is only accessible by -20 stairs (handrail left and right), although lectures could be moved to the ground floor if this is required. There is also a graduate computer room in the basement.

The Library is on the first floor (+24 stairs, narrow and spiralling) from the reception area, and has serious barriers to access. The library is on two floors, with photocopiers on the second level. The Library is used mainly for lending, and staff are willing to help and bring books down. If the books required are from the reference collections, it is possible with notice to book a room on the ground floor and to consult them there; staff are able to offer more help before 5pm. The Library's Issues and Enquiry Desk, which is on the first floor of the building, has an induction loop installed on the Maitland Room counter. Readers with hearing aids may prefer to go to that side for all of their Library transactions rather than to the West Room counter of the Desk.

The faculty building has no adapted toilets although there are regular toilets in the basement. Staff are aware fully of the access difficulties, especially with reference to the library. So far no satisfactory location has been found for the installation of a lift, but consideration is being given as to how to improve facilities on the ground floor, also to the delivery of more services via IT.