Using your University Card
Your University Card
You will need your University Card for admission to the Bodleian Library and other University Libraries and to use Computing Services and the Language Teaching Centre. In some Colleges and Departments, you will need your card as a payment card or to enter buildings which have swipe-card access control. It will also act as an identity card whenever you are on College or University premises. Entitlement to University IT facilities varies according to your University status.
Each University Card has a space for one College affiliation and/or one Department/Faculty affiliation. One card will provide both your Department and College needs. If you are a student, your Department/Faculty affiliation may be expressed in terms of your course title. Your University Card displays your name and photograph, student ID number, expiry date and a barcode with a number above it - sometimes known as the OLIS number. Older University Cards display the Bodleian reader's number (e.g. 91Z12345), while more recent versions display an indication of the Bodleian readership group (e.g. Group S). The barcode/OLIS number is encoded on the reverse of the card with its expiry date. This magnetic strip is used for access control systems and other automated facilities around Oxford. The card may also carry the University logo and/or the Bodleian logo according to the category to which the card holder is entitled.
A University Student Card example:
Using your Card in University and College Libraries
You will need to show your card or swipe it through an access door or gate at the entrance to most libraries. In some libraries you will also need to register at your first visit - staff at the entrance will tell you if this is the case. You will not need a separate Bodleian Reader’s Card as admission to the Bodleian Library, in most cases, is included on the University Card. If you require additional library access you should apply at the Bodleian Library Admissions Office. Access to the Bodleian Library for the 'Card Holder' category is at the discretion of the Bodleian Library.
The majority of University libraries, and some College libraries, control borrowing using OLIS, the library computer system. You will need your card to borrow books from these libraries. The barcode number on your University Card, together with a password that will be notified to you, will enable you to reserve books in some libraries, order books up from the Bodleian and other bookstacks, and consult your borrowing record online.
Note that, apart from the Philosophy, Hooke (science lending), Oriental Institute and Chinese Studies libraries, and some collections in the Bodleian Japanese and Indian Institute libraries, the libraries in the Bodleian group are reference only. This includes the Central Bodleian, Bodleian Library of Commonwealth and African Studies at Rhodes House, Bodleian Law Library, Radcliffe Science Library and Vere Harmsworth (American Studies) Library.
University Card Misuse
Misuse of your University Card, such as allowing another person to use it for access to premises or facilities, is a serious offence and will be reported to the appropriate disciplinary authorities. You are reminded that in signing your student or staff contract you agreed to obey all the rules of the University and/or College and facilities to which the University Card allows you access. Also, the personal information you provided may be used to determine access to a range of University and College resources (e.g. premises, laboratories, computing services). The information is collected and processed according to the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998.