Collections Research Room | Collections | The University of Aberdeen

Collections Research Room

The University Collections Centre is located on the lower ground floor of the Sir Duncan Rice Library. Our Research Room is open to all researchers. If you are not currently a member of staff or a student at the University of Aberdeen you can apply for a Research Room access pass by emailing in advance of your visit. We particularly advise you to contact us in advance if you will be travelling from outwith Aberdeen - this way we can help you to prepare for your visit and can arrange for materials to be ready for you, so that you can make the most of your research time.

You can watch a short video introduction to the Research Room here:

Further information about visiting the library and a campus map for Old Aberdeen are also available.

Please email us for further information about an access pass.

By Car

Parking on site is for staff and students only; however, blue badge holders can use the disabled bays in the parking lot. Alternative parking can be found on the Chanonry and Bedford Road (both are pay and display). For further information on disabled access please see AccessAble.

By Bus

Several buses & coaches pass near the Collections centre.

First Bus no. 19 is the most direct, stopping just outside the library. Numbers 1, 1B, 2 and 20 also stop on campus, approximately a five-minute walk from the library gallery. Service 17 & 18 stop at Burnett Place which is about a 10 minute walk from the library gallery. You can find more information on the First Bus website .

Stagecoach buses no. 50, X60, X63. X67, X68 & 291 also stop on King Street a short walk away from the library gallery. Service 727 stops at Burnett Place which is about a 10 minute walk from the library gallery. For more information on times and to plan your journey please visit the Stagecoach website.

Both companies accept cash and card.

By Bike

A number of bike stands are available at the front of the library. Visitors must bring their own bike locks, as bikes left unattended are at the visitor's own risk and are not the responsibility of the University.

By Foot

The library is within a ten minutes walk from Old Aberdeen high street and all aforementioned bus stops.

Enquiry service

We welcome enquiries about the collection, but are unfortunately unable to carry out extensive research on your behalf. Where possible, enquiries should be made by emailing collections@abdn.ac.uk. Please use the online resources to help you provide as much information as possible, such as catalogue numbers of items you wish to study, and any deadlines you may have. If you have made an email enquiry, you will receive an automated email response to confirm its receipt, while we aim to send a personal response within 20 working days.

All enquiries relating to NHS Grampian Archives should be addressed directly to the NHS Grampian Archivist by emailing gram.archives@nhs.scot.

Research visits

We aim to assist researchers by providing access to items in the collections, such as arranging visits to study items and providing digital images. However, we do not offer a research service. Our aim is to make material available as soon as possible, but some items are particularly fragile, complex or large and may not be available or may require specific arrangements to be made for their study. For items that can be studied in the Collections Research Room, we aim to supply items that are housed in the Sir Duncan Rice Library within 24 hours (most archives and rare printed material), with other items held in other stores (most museum collections) within 1 week. Visits to other venues, such as stores, may be required for large items or collections, or those with specific requirements, so may not be possible within that timescale. Please do not finalise plans for your visit until you have received confirmation of the availability of material.

Study tables have individual power points, while USB chargers can be borrowed. Free wifi (Eduroam and AberdeenCityConnect) is available throughout the Collections Research Room. There are also large tables for items such as maps, a digital microform reader, and an OPAC (Online Public Access Catalogue) to search the University’s collections. The Collections Research Room also has selected material available for browsing and reference:

Local Collection
A varied collection of publications relating to the history and identity of the North-East of Scotland, including the University and City
Collections Research Resource
A selection of publications complementing the archive, rare book and museum collections, including catalogues, periodicals, facsimiles and reference works.
Selected periodicals
A selection of periodicals, including historical society publications, journals and serial titles, dating mainly from the 19th and 20th centuries

Online research resources

Before contacting us, please use the resources at https://www.abdn.ac.uk/collections/our-collections/ to find which items you wish to study. Some useful general resources include:

Online catalogues
Factsheets
General information about the archive, museum and printed collections
Online highlights of the collection
Scottish Catholic Archives

If your enquiry is about former students and staff, some useful sources include:

Images for research

If you need images for research, you are encouraged to take your own photos of most items in the collection. Staff will advise if there are any conservation or copyright restrictions. If you are unable to take your own photos (such as if you cannot visit Aberdeen), staff may provide up to 5 images without charge.

High quality images of some items are available via Primo, and a digitisation service can be available for other items. For more details, please see Image Requests.

Collections Research Room guidelines

Please help us to care for our collections by following our guidelines:

Please leave bags, laptop cases and outdoor clothes in the lockers or on the coat rail by the entrance to the Research Room. Locker tokens are available at the Research Room.
Discussions as part of your research is welcomed, but please consider other researchers (for example, keeping your phone on silent and moving to the foyer to use it).
Please do not bring any food or drink into the Research Room.
Please ensure your hands are clean and dry before handling items in the collection. There are toilets nearby the lockers.
Please work in pencil only.
Please handle materials and turn pages carefully. Acid free slips of paper are available if you wish to mark your place.
Please use the supports and weights provided to support and hold down items. Do not lean on materials or press the pages.

Copying and image reproduction

You are welcome to take photos using a hand-held device, such as a phone, without flash. If there are any restrictions on what can be photographed, you will be informed in advance.

Please note that CCTV is in operation in the Sir Duncan Rice Library.

Support us!

Access to the collections is free of charge, and we encourage everyone to feel comfortable using the collections for a wide range of purposes. Alongside access for research, we organise exhibitions and events, engage with local schools and community groups, and support teaching in the university.

If you would like to support this work, please contact us by emailing collections@abdn.ac.uk, or donate online.