Bodleian Online

Discover the Bodleian online

Explore our stories and collections online.

WATCH

Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth

Watch a short documentary about the academic career and private life of J.R.R. Tolkien.

WATCH

Exhibition highlights

Dive into the largest Tolkien archive in the world with a tour of our 2018 exhibition.

An illustration of mountains and trees in green and yellow with the word "Hobbit"

READ

Tolkien’s true love story

Tolkien's love story with his wife, which inspired the love story of Beren and Lúthien in his literary epic, The Silmarillion.

J.R.R. Tolkien, Bilbo comes to the Huts of the Raft-elves

DEEP DIVE

Tolkien's turning point: Tolkien and the history of tongues

Watch a lecture exploring the detail and design of Tolkien's languages.

The manuscript of Shakepeare's First Folio leaning on supporting black foam

WATCH

Introducing Shakespeare's First Folio

Watch Dr Emma Smith, Fellow in English, introduce Shakespeare's First Folio – one of the treasures of the Bodleian.

Panoramic view of 16th century London, looking across London Bridge from Southwark.

READ

How to talk like Shakespeare

Read a blog post about how Shakespeare and his actors would have spoken.

EXPLORE

First Folio

Explore the digitised version of Shakespeare's First Folio for yourself.

A round white building with exposed timbers

DEEP DIVE

Performing Shakespeare then and now

Watch this lecture discussing how Shakespeare was performed in the past and now.

8 pages of a handwritten manuscript laid out in a fan

WATCH

Introducing The Watsons by Jane Austen

Watch an introduction to Jane Austen's unfinished novel, The Watsons.

A man and a woman sitting next to each other on a Zoom call

WATCH

Friends of the Bodleian Annual Lecture 2020

Watch Laura Wade and Samuel West discuss their collaboration on Wade’s critically-acclaimed adaptation of Jane Austen’s unfinished novel, The Watsons.

EXPLORE

Jane Austen's Volume the First

Explore the digitised version of Austen's Volume the First - a compilation of Jane Austen’s early short works.

READ

The conservation of Jane Austen’s Volume the First

Read about how we conserved Jane Austen’s Volume the First.

WATCH

Magna Carta

The Magna Carta represents a defining moment in English political history. Watch an introduction to one of the Magna Carta's in our collection, published in 1217.

An illuminated letter from a medieval manuscript

EXPLORE

Gutenberg Bible

Explore the digitised version of the Gutenberg Bible – the first substantial book to be printed in Europe.

A drawing of a fortified building surrounded by small buildings with red roofs

EXPLORE

The Gough Map

Explore the earliest surviving map to show the coastline of Britain in a recognizable form.

Archives and manuscripts blog

Discoveries, personal insights and latest research from our curators.

Detail of a Soviet-made map showing the tectonic plates, fault lines and earthquake zones of the Earth

Map Room blog

A blog dedicated to the wonderful world of maps.

Two people look at a print in front of an old printing press

The Conveyor

A blog dedicated to the history of the book: from research to printing presses and conservation.

Digital Bodleian

Discover almost a million images of rare books, manuscripts, and other treasures from the Bodleian Libraries online.

Bodleian Online

Discover the Bodleian online

Explore Tolkien

Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth

Exhibition highlights

Tolkien’s true love story

Tolkien's turning point: Tolkien and the history of tongues

Explore Shakespeare

Introducing Shakespeare's First Folio

How to talk like Shakespeare

First Folio

Performing Shakespeare then and now

Explore Austen

Introducing The Watsons by Jane Austen

Friends of the Bodleian Annual Lecture 2020

Jane Austen's Volume the First

The conservation of Jane Austen’s Volume the First

Explore our oldest treasures

Magna Carta

Gutenberg Bible

The Gough Map

Explore more

Archives and manuscripts blog

Map Room blog

The Conveyor

Digital Bodleian

Keep in touch

Bodleian Libraries

Useful links

Bodleian Online

Discover the Bodleian online

Explore Tolkien

Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth

Exhibition highlights

Tolkien’s true love story

Tolkien's turning point: Tolkien and the history of tongues

Explore Shakespeare

Introducing Shakespeare's First Folio

How to talk like Shakespeare

First Folio

Performing Shakespeare then and now

Explore Austen

Introducing The Watsons by Jane Austen

Friends of the Bodleian Annual Lecture 2020

Jane Austen's Volume the First

The conservation of Jane Austen’s Volume the First

Explore our oldest treasures

Magna Carta

Gutenberg Bible

The Gough Map

Explore more

Archives and manuscripts blog

Map Room blog

The Conveyor

Digital Bodleian

Keep in touch

Bodleian Libraries

Useful links

Information for visitors