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Research tip #1: if in doubt…

Author
Alison Hilton
Published Date
May 8, 2013

Here is the first in what we will become a regular series on the blog – research tips from the MERL library and archive team.

Trying to find out about collections can be a difficult and frustrating business. Our online catalogues and finding aids are now very large and while it’s great to have so much information available at your fingertips, it can also be quite confusing. There is some really good guidance available on our website at http://www.reading.ac.uk/merl/collections/merl-accesscollections.aspx but sometimes you may find that the catalogue doesn’t give you the answer you expected. So our first research tip is this: if in doubt, ask! Our reading room team is there to help, and while we can’t promise to do your research for you, we are always willing to provide help in searching the catalogues. Contact us on 0118 378 8660 or merl@reading.ac.uk

 

 Cooper's Dip

Robert Davey
Author
Joe
/
Published Date
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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.

three glass pint milk bottles
Author
Madeleine
/
Published Date
June 15, 2026

Milking Time: Bacteriology and Pasteurisation

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Richard Watts film archive
Author
Joe
/
Published Date
May 12, 2026

Watts in the Country: Inclusive Approaches to Rural Film (with the BFI)

We’re collaborating with film NGO Real Time, volunteers, and focus groups to bring the Richard Watts archival film collection to rural communities across Britain.

Author
Madeleine
/
Published Date
March 6, 2026

International Women’s Day 2026: Hidden histories

Discover the stories of three women curators, collectors, and designers in the 20th century.

Handwriting in a farm letter
Author
Joe
/
Published Date
February 25, 2026

Queer histories in the farm records

What can farm records teach us about same-sex relationships? Researcher Tim Jerrome shares his work exploring queer rural experiences.