The interviews are important testaments. They contain not only personal information about each individual but reflect on the history, structure, constitution and development of the University. There are unrivalled glimpses into the lives of those connected with the institution, from remarkably detailed memories of graduates of the 1920s and 30s describing landladies, digs and food, through to ex-Principals and Heads of Department recounting their first hand experiences of university government at the highest level. Few would have recorded their memories but for this project.

The interviews bring unique personal perspectives to the impact on the University of two world wars, the rapid expansion of the 1960s, reductions in funding in the 1980s and events such as the Quincentenary in 1995, right up to the present. They are invaluable historical documents, detailing changes in the social history of Aberdeen and the surrounding area, together with developments in, for example, medicine, psychology, education, law and music, set in a wider educational and social context. Anyone interested in individual personalities or the history of the University will find facts and anecdotes to add to the more formal records, statistics and other written works. The Oral History interviews are living records which give a matchless view of the University community.

Access
Transcripts of the interviews are available for consultation in the reading room of Special Libraries and Archives. The tapes themselves are not normally available. Some copyright restrictions may apply, and users should make specific enquiry to the reading room staff. Full text searching across all the interviews is available on request.

Please contact the Reading Room for further details:
Tel: +44 (0)1224 272598
Fax: +44 (0)1224 273891
e-mail: speclib@abdn.ac.uk