Oxford Mail is giving away free books - how to get one

Or the Guinness Book of World Records from 1997, a history of Coronation Street or eight volumes on ‘The History of the County of Oxford?’

The Oxford Mail is, for the next month, giving away all these books and hundreds more.

Reference books and guide books

As we prepare to move office in the summer, we are sadly having to save some space, and so we are looking for new homes for all these great books.

Anyone who would like to take a specific volume, or who would like to come and look around to see what we have got, is invited to get in touch.

Oxford Mail and Times editor Pete Gavan said: "There are some really great books in this collection.

"Some of them have seen better days, and are a little tattered, others are in mint condition, but whatever condition they are in, we would love to give all of these books go to a good home.

Picture books and numerous tomes on local history

"We don't want any payment, so if you are interested, please just get in touch."

One of the most unusual items on the shelves is a set of large volumes containing decades' worth of pages from the Banbury Cake over the years.

Other items up for grabs include:

• A 24-volume Encyclopaedia Britannica

• Twelve Britannica ‘books of the year’ from the 1950s and 1960s

• A 15-volume Chambers encyclopaedia

• A slightly battered complete works of Shakespeare

• Guinness Book of World Records 1996 and 1997

• Eight volumes of ‘A History of the County of Oxford’

• Two bibles

• A book on romanticism

Some of the 24 Encyclopaedia Britannia volumes

• A large book on Giza and The Pyramids by Mark Lehner and Zahi Hawass (unopened)

• Numerous Rothmans football yearbooks from the 1970s and 1980s

• Various cricket annuals from 70s and 80s

• A Wisden cricket almanac for 1992

• The Coronation Street Story

• A photographic atlas of Oxford

• A dictionary of fictional characters

• Numerous books on the history of parts of Oxfordshire including Cowley, Abingdon, Witney, Wallingford, North Hinksey and Leafield

• Numerous books on law

• Several books of stock photography

• Numerous dictionaries, thesauruses and other reference books

The Oxford Mail and Times are moving from their current offices in Osney Mead to a different unit on the industrial estate later this year.

Some of the archive material from our library is moving to the Oxfordshire History Centre at St Luke's Church in Cowley.

Books in the Oxford Mail library at Osney Mead. Picture: Ed Nix

The rest of the library is staying in an Oxford Mail and Times archive room on Osney Mead, where it will continue to be used by our reporters and other journalists.

Anyone who is interested in any of the items listed or who would like to look at what is available is invited to email Lisa Hutson at freebooks@oxfordmail.co.uk to make an enquiry.

While we cannot guarantee that we will be able to accommodate all requests, we welcome all expressions of interest.