Manuscripts and Special Collections

We were delighted to welcome 140 guests to our official reopening event at King’s Meadow on Thursday 22 October.

Home to some of the University of Nottingham’s most remarkable cultural treasures, Manuscripts and Special Collections preserves and provides access to a wealth of archives and rare books, including 80,000 rare printed works and 3.5 million archival documents dating from the 12th century to the present day. These internationally significant collections support world-leading research and teaching, attracting visitors and researchers from Nottingham and across the globe.

The service temporarily closed over the summer to enable its relocation within King’s Meadow ahead of the building’s future sale. With the move now complete, the reopening event provided an opportunity to celebrate a successful transition and showcase the service’s newly enhanced facilities. These include a spacious new Reading Room for visitors consulting the collections, alongside an expanded teaching space capable of accommodating classes and groups of up to 40 people.

Guests gathered for a formal opening ceremony featuring speeches from Associate Director for Manuscripts and Special Collections, Hayley Cotterill, alongside Dr David Beckingham from the School of Geography and Dr Amanda Rasmussen from the School of Biosciences, who shared how the collections have informed their research into the River Leen and plant propagation respectively. Director of Libraries, Sue Ackermann, then officially declared the new Reading Room open.

The event brought together donors and depositors whose collections are cared for by Manuscripts and Special Collections, as well as academic and professional services colleagues, students, representatives from The National Archives, and partners from community organisations including Notts County FC’s ‘Notts Heritage 1862’ charity and the National Trust. Visitors enjoyed behind-the-scenes tours of the Collections Strongroom, Digitisation Studio and Conservation Studio, alongside displays highlighting the breadth and impact of the service’s work.

Associate Director for Manuscripts and Special Collections, Hayley Cotterill, said: “We were delighted to have so many people from across the University and beyond join us to celebrate our official reopening. We are privileged in the UK to have a documentary heritage that stretches back centuries, and the collections held by Manuscripts and Special Collections are a unique asset for the University of Nottingham. They help generate hundreds of thousands of pounds in research income, engage 2,300 students annually through teaching, and support more than 2,000 hours of work and volunteer placements each year. This event was a wonderful opportunity to share that impact with our visitors.”

Manuscripts and Special Collections will remain at King’s Meadow for at least the next few years through a leaseback arrangement with the building’s new owners. Anyone interested in visiting the Reading Room, exploring research opportunities, or arranging teaching sessions and placement opportunities is encouraged to contact the team at mss-library@nottingham.ac.uk