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Digital Access to The MERL Collections

Restarting copying services

Author
Alison Hilton
Published Date
July 10, 2020
screen shot of the university collections catalogue search

Today, we are publishing our plans to increase digital access to our collections. There is a new digital access guide here

During the lockdown, we have continued to make available content that has already been digitised, launching new websites and schools resources, answering research enquiries, and creating online exhibitions.

From 13 July, we will be re-starting copying services for The Museum of English Rural Life, Special Collections and Art Collections.

This will be subject to the usual copyright restrictions, and a small number of collections remain unavailable. Discounted rates apply and the service is free of charge for University of Reading students / research projects.

Later in the Summer, we aim to launch further digital access services, including:

A “virtual reading room” permitting registered users to access high quality scans of selected content;

New content on the ArtUK and Google Arts and Culture platforms;

Facilities to enable remote teaching with collections;

Multiple image viewing in our Enterprise catalogue.

Guy Baxter at The MERL
Author
Joe
/
Published Date
September 30, 2026

Leadership changes: Guy Baxter becomes our new Director

Guy Baxter becomes the new Director of the University of Reading’s Museums and Collections, as Kate Arnold-Forster and Isabel Hughes depart.

Richard Watts with a tractor and film reels
Author
Joe
/
Published Date
September 23, 2026

Beyond nostalgia

How do we help audiences of today encounter films from the past?

Friday Fledglings brand logo – a cartoon bird jumps through autumnal leaves
Author
Joe
/
Published Date
September 17, 2026

A new Friday Fledglings brand has hatched

An iconic under-5s group deserves iconic design.

Author
Joe
/
Published Date
September 15, 2026

Digitising the Fowler archives

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Robert Davey
Author
Joe
/
Published Date
September 1, 2026

Remembering Robert Davey

All of us at The Museum of English Rural Life are deeply saddened by the recent passing of Robert Davey – a valued member of our community.

Merle the bat, asleep in a glove
Author
Joe
/
Published Date
August 19, 2026

So we found a live bat in our galleries (again)

Seven years after we gave a bat a library card, another bat has visited The Museum of English Rural Life.