English Faculty Library

There are four accessible parking spaces available: one in front of the building and three at the rear. Please bear in mind that three of these spaces are shared with the nearby Manor Road building. It is advisable to book a parking space in advance by contacting the Porters' Lodge on 01865 271 481 or st_cross_building_lodge@admin.ox.ac.uk

All parking in the St Cross Building car park is for University car park permit holders only.

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The English Faculty Library is on the first floor of the building and can be reached via the main external staircase – there is a central handrail all the way up. The accessible entrance is to the right of the external staircase – see the main St Cross Building page for further information. From the accessible entrance, follow the corridor round to the left and into the lobby area where you will see the main passenger lift in front of you. Take the lift to the first floor. Exit the lift, go through the doorway (door is held open) and the entrance to the library is on the right hand side.

The door into the library is powered, and then there are access controlled powered gates which are wide enough for wheelchair users to use; you'll need to use your Bodleian card to gain entrance. Visually impaired people should take care here as the gates are made of clear glass with no contrasting markings. Once through the gates there is a security sensor, this has a slight ramp but should not be a problem for wheelchair users.

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The information desk is just beyond the access gates at the main entrance to the library. The library desk has a lowered section at the far end with a small amount of kneehole space, and an induction loop in place. The reception is staffed during opening hours.

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Accessible toilets

There are no toilets inside the library. However, there is an accessible toilet located very close to the library. Exit the library, go straight ahead and you will see two blocks of toilets either side of the entrance of the Centre for Criminology on the left. The accessible toilet is in the block on the right hand side. 

Please see the main St Cross Building page for information on other accessible toilets. 

Standard toilets

There are no toilets inside the library. However, there are toilets located very close to the library. Exit the library and the toilets are ahead of you on the left; there are two blocks either side of the entrance to the Centre for Criminology. These are all gender neutral toilets. There are also toilets on all floors of the St Cross Building (apart from the third floor).

There is a lift that connects the main area of the library with the upper gallery area. The lift is in the staff office which is located just past the information desk. Staff are used to people coming through the office to use the lift, and permission is not required to enter the office. 

The lift has a reasonable amount of manoeuvring space although there are doors either side; you enter one side and exit the other meaning that you do not need to turn a wheelchair inside the lift. The lift has tactile buttons, visual and audio information and a hearing loop.

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There are stairs connecting the main reading room with the upper gallery area. As you enter the library the stairs are on the left just before the enquiry desk. The stairs have contrasting nosings and hand rails either side. The stairs are slightly too wide for most people to use both handrails at the same time. 

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The main door, and access controlled gates into the library are powered. The main door has a full height vision panel. The access gates are glass with no contrasting edges so people with a visual impairment will need to take care here.

If using the lift you will need to go into the staff room which has a manual door with full height vision panel.

Most of the library is open plan so there are very few doors to navigate.

The Computer Room has a manual door with a full height vision panel. This door is very heavy; staff are happy to help if needed. 

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The main reading room is all open plan, level access and spacious with plenty of seating and adequate space between shelving. Desks are fixed although chairs can be moved as needed.

The upper gallery area is also open plan, level access and spacious. This also has plenty of seating and space between shelving. Again, desks are fixed although chairs can be moved as needed.

The library is bright and well lit throughout. 

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The Computer Room is in the far corner of the main reading room of the library (opposite the enquiry desk). The door is heavy and some people may require assistance to use it, staff are happy to help. The room has many computers available for use. Desks are fixed and have plenty of kneehole space underneath. There is also one height adjustable desk; this is manually operated but staff will be happy to help if needed.

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There is an induction loop in place at the enquiry desk.

The library can provide the following assistive equipment:

• Daylight reading lamp
• Footstools
• Book rests
• Coloured acetate sheets
• Reading rulers
• Ear plugs 

Please ask at the Enquiry Desk if you wish to use any of this equipment.

There is an electrically operated height adjustable desk, and ergonomic chair on the upper gallery level. This is located in between the top of the stairs and the lift.  There is an electrically operated height adjustable desk on the ground floor. This is located in front of the Periodicals shelves. There is a manually operated height adjustable desk in the computer room.
 

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