Special Collections, Archives and Records section
By utnvsea, on 23 November 2016
Welcome to the first post on the new Special Collections, Archives and Records section blog!
Following a UCL Library Services restructure in April this year, a new section has been created through the amalgamation of UCL Special Collections, UCL Records Office, the Institute Of Education Archives and Special Collections and the Retrospective Cataloguing Team.
The SCAR section is responsible for the collection, management and preservation of the rare and unique materials held by UCL Library Services.
We aim to:
COLLECT archives, records and rare books to support the research and teaching of UCL and to reflect the history of the organisation
PRESERVE those rare materials for the future by maintaining monitored storage conditions, undertaking preservation activities and carrying out conservation on damaged items
ENGAGE UCL staff and students and external audiences through academic teaching sessions, exhibitions, special events, community and school links and social media
Provide ACCESS to rare materials through specialised cataloguing, on-line access to catalogues and guides, dedicated enquiry services, invigilated reading rooms, digitisation services and publication advice
Provide SUPPORT across all 18 library sites in these areas
The section is reponsible for some 10,000 metres of rare and unique material in subjects ranging from archaeology to world history. Our collections have particular strengths in Judaica, literature (including the George Orwell Archive and the James Joyce Collection), genetics and science, education and Latin American business archives. We manage 2 reading rooms and a conservation unit, and undertake a wide range of outreach activities.