Recent News & Events

Friends of Aberdeen University Library: Judging a book by its cover: what bindings cam tell us about books
Jane Pirie, Information Officer and Rare Books Cataloguer, will deliver a talk about the art of bookbinding on Thursday 26th May in the Old Senate Room, King’s College at 7.30 p.m. The talk will follow the Friends’ Annual General Meeting and Jane will discuss the materials and techniques used in bookbinding and showcase some of the beautifully crafted examples from our collections.

Aberdeen City and Shire: launch of new website 'Routes to your North East Roots'
A new website providing researchers with a first point of access to information about their ancestors was launched on Monday 16th May.

The Routes to your North East Roots website is a result of a collaborative effort by local archives (including Special Libraries & Archives), local studies libraries, museums, registrars and local heritage organisations to promote the wealth of resources on offer to those interested in researching their family history in the north-east of Scotland.

The site also serves as an important directory to the different organisations in the north-east which hold original records or secondary sources of information for family historians and provides advice and guidance on how to begin researching your family history.

Granite Month - 4th May 2011
Andrew MacGregor gave a talk about the University’s granite collections as part of the programme of events planned for Aberdeen City Council’s Granite Month.

For more information about the Granite Festival, see here.

Saltire Society Talk – 15th February 2011
On the evening of 15th February, Keith O’Sullivan, Senior Rare Books Librarian, addressed the local branch of the Saltire Society at Rubislaw Church Centre, Aberdeen. The theme of his illustrated talk was Aberdeen’s special collections, both archival and printed: from the medieval Aberdeen Bestiary to twentieth-century gems such as the library of John Bisset Chapman. Emphasis was given to the fact that our special holdings continue to grow to this day, as witnessed by the donation of a fabulous collection of 18th and 19th century satirical prints and associated books by Loretta Glucksman in 2008. Keith also spoke about access to and promotion of these rare and unique holdings, and the likely opportunities of the New Library upon the delivery of services to a much wider audience.    

North Sea Decommissioning Conference - 14th-15th February 2011
Siobhán Convery attended the 11th Annual NPF North Sea Decommissioning Conference in Bergen and delivered a paper to an audience of over 200 oil and gas professionals on the University’s oil and gas archive and the Capturing the Energy project. 

Family History Talk - 8th February 2011
Andrew MacGregor, Deputy Archivist, delivered a talk to over forty members and guests of the Friends of the Library about the family history resources available to researchers at Special Libraries & Archives and this was followed by an opportunity to view some of the original documents at first hand.    

The material on display was drawn from the University’s own institutional records and local collection of printed material, in addition to its extensive deposited collections of business papers and family and estate records. Items on display included student class photographs, the earliest known team photograph of the University of Aberdeen Football Club dated 1872-73, a salaries book dated 1912-1926 from the business papers of P&O Scottish Ferries Ltd., an eighteenth-century wage book for servants form the Earls of Fife estates at Duff House, Banff, a register of baptisms from St Clement's Church, Aberdeen (1837-1885) and an admission register covering the period 1909-1934 from the Demonstration School in Aberdeen.

Icelandic Ambassadors visit – 3rd November 2010
On Wednesday 3 November, Special Libraries and Archives were pleased to host a visit by a party including Iceland’s Ambassador to the UK, Mr Benedikt Jónsson. The Ambassador was at the University to attend the unveiling of new sculptures at Aberdeen Sports Village by Icelandic artist Steinunn Thoraninsdottir. Ambassador Jónsson’s group was shown a variety of objects from the University’s rich historic archival printed and museum collections relating to the circumpolar regions. Items displayed included a 1688 version of the Landnámabók or ‘book of settlement’ printed in Skálholt 1688;  an illustrated diary of a whaling journey from 1831, and a wooden bed board from Reykjavik, presented to the University in 1908 - complete with an inscription in ancient Icelandic.     

Working closely with staff at Special Libraries & Archives, Professor Roueché researched the papers of William Calder which were bequeathed to the University of Aberdeen in 1960 (her grandfather William Buckler was a friend and colleague of Calder and worked with him in Turkey recording inscriptions). The collection includes a valuable series of notebooks, diaries, letters, photographs and “squeezes” (paper impressions) dating from 1908 and documents his travels in Turkey. This research formed the basis of a series of six talks delivered by Professor Roueché.

William Calder (1881-1960) was born in Edinkillie, Morayshire and graduated MA from the University of Aberdeen in 1903. He was Professor of Greek at Manchester University (1913-1930) and Edinburgh University (1930-1951). He travelled extensively in Turkey, recording inscriptions: from 1908 to 1914 with Professor William Ramsay, of Aberdeen, and, from 1924, on behalf of the American Society for Archaeological Research in Asia Minor, publishing the Monumenta Asiae Minoris Antiqua series (MAMA).

Charlotte’s research brought to light an interesting connection, previously unknown to her, with the Robert Wilson Trust, created under the terms of the will of Robert Wilson (1787-1871), surgeon and traveller. Calder was just one of many important scholars who benefited from the funds available via the Trust’s Travelling Fellowship.  Other Wilson Fellows included John George Clark Anderson (1870-1952), who was also born at Edinkillie and graduated with an MA from King’s College in 1858, eventually being appointed Camden Professor of Ancient History and Fellow of Brasenose College at Oxford; and Sir William Ramsay (1851-1939), who was Calder’s tutor at Aberdeen and travelled with him in Asia Minor prior to 1914.

The papers of William Calder are part of the fascinating collection relating to the American Society for Archaeological Research in Asia Minor (MS 3286).