This is the first systematic subject guide to the contents of the oldest and largest academic research library in Britain. The work of forty Bodleian specialist staff (past and present), it describes the Library's collections as they are today in the historical context of four hundred years of acquisition. Each of the 29 chapters gives an account of the growth, character and special strengths of the Bodleian's holdings, whether in a particular subject (e.g. English Literature, Law or Music), dealing with a particular area (e.g. North America, East Asia), or as special types of material (e.g. Pictorial Resources, Printed Ephemera). The Guide's long-term reference function is enhanced by a General Bibliography and a descriptive list of over 400 of the principal special collections. In addition, each chapter includes a bibliography of other published treatments, catalogues and finding aids relating to the Library's holdings in that subject. There is a full index. This guide gives a comprehensive overview of the development of the Bodleian's collections, allowing the reader to appreciate within the space of a single volume the intellectual content of the Library.