Book Design Collections

Oxford Brookes University, the BPIF and the Publishers Association are responsible for the annual British Book Design and Production Awards which promote and celebrate the British book design and production industry. Prizes are awarded in fourteen categories, the Book of the Year is selected from the category winners. Categories include literature, trade illustrated, scholarly and reference, children's trade and brand or series identity. From 2006 onwards most category award winners have been donated to the Library. They can be found in Zone C on Level 4. They are shelved according to the year the award was made, the category can be found on the book plate at the front of the book. This is a reference collection. Annual catalogues for the Awards can be found at 741.64/BRI in the Book Design Collection.

This is a small teaching collection of books illustrative of design features such as typography, illustration and jacket design. Many of the books have been submitted as entries to the British Book Design and Production Awards and there are examples of shortlisted books as well as some of those not selected by the judges. The Collection aims to include examples of good and unusual design as well as examples of design which is less successful. It also includes different types of publication such as children's board and pop-up books and school text books. Books in the Collection can be found using LibrarySearch and all have the shelfmark 741.64. They are to be found in Zone C on level 4 of the Library. Most are available for one week loan.

Other books of interest to those studying book design can be found in the Brookes Rare Books Collection in the Archive Room in the Special Collections Reading Room, these include the Folio Society Collection. Also kept in the Archive Room is the Artists' Books Collection. The Rainbird Archive is held in the mobile shelving in the Special Collections Reading Room.