Univ’s Archivist Dr Robin Darwall-Smith (1982, Classics) has spent the last three decades cataloguing our Archives, and now he has overseen the creation of a new digital catalogue, which enables users to search easily for documents or items in Univ’s archival collections and provides a useful reference point for those wishing to send an enquiry to the Archivist, or to visit the Archives in person.

This online catalogue provides a newly accessible way of discovering what material our Archives hold and is available for anyone who would like to consult it. Inevitably, however, entries for some of the more recent records in the Archives are not publicly available during the lifetimes of their subjects. There are almost 26,500 archive records on the database, and over 8,000 names.

Robin hopes that this new catalogue will help potential researchers to the Archives, be they academics, current or former members, or members of the public in finding out what we hold there. We heartily encourage you to explore the catalogue and see what you can find.

The catalogue was created using Epexio, a database package which can convert archival records into a user-friendly web interface. Several Colleges, including Christ Church, New College and Robin’s other “home” of Jesus College have all similarly used Epexio to put their archive catalogues online. As a result, the catalogues of Oxford College archives are starting to become publicly accessible in a way which Robin for one could not dreamed of when he started work in our archives back in 1993.

Our archives hold a remarkable collection of documents, photographs, and printed papers, going back over 800 years, which between them help tell the story of our College over its long history.

Of course, this catalogue is not the last word on our Archives. Robin is always receiving new material there, which will be catalogued and will appear on the website in due course. This remains, however, a very significant milestone in the history of the Archives of Univ.

Published: 4 March 2025

Explore Univ on social media