Libraries and Family History

Please Note Oxfordshire County Council are responsible for this service in Oxford. Visit their Libraries pages for full details.

Oxfordshire County Council provide all public library services in Oxford. For information on libraries and local and family history in Oxford, you can browse the Libraries pages of the Oxfordshire County Council website.

Library Locations and Opening Hours

Visit the Your Local Library page on the Oxfordshire County Council website to find your local library and opening hours.

Please see the map below for the locations of libraries in Oxford:

Joining a library

In order to borrow books or to hire DVDs and other media, you will need to join the library. Membership is free, and open to everyone living in the UK.

You can join a library online on the Oxfordshire County Council website or fill in an application form (available from any Oxfordshire library) and provide some identification, such as a driving licence.

Reserve and Renew online

You can search the online Library Catalogue on the Oxfordshire County Council website to see if a book is held in one of Oxfordshire's public libraries. If it is, the catalogue will also tell you where the title is held and if it is available for you to borrow or reserve online.

Reference Online

Oxfordshire Libraries now offer all members access to a wide range of online reference information, both in the libraries and from home.

Reference Online is available 24 hours a day, all year round and contains information on a variety of subjects from reference material such as the Oxford English Dictionary, Encyclopaedia Britannica and over 150 subject dictionaries from Oxford University Press. It's superb for homework, answering quiz questions, historical research and much more.

All you need to use the service is your library membership number. Visit the Reference Online section of the Oxfordshire County Council website to start researching now.

Library Services for Young People

Visit the Kids and Teens at Libraries section of the Oxfordshire County Council website for information on books and events for children and young people at Oxfordshire's libraries.

Family History in Oxford

Visit the Family History section on the Oxfordshire County Council website for information on how to find out about your family history and local history in Oxford.

Family histories can also be traced from the manual records at our cemeteries. An appointment to use this service should be made with our Cemeteries Service. There will be a charge before information is released.

Where can I find out more about libraries and books?

Visit the Libraries section on the Directgov website for more information about libraries, reading groups and advice on good books to read.

Page last reviewed 16 March 2012