Foreword

Foreword

The University of Ulster occupies a unique position in the history of higher education, having been created in 1984 through the only trans-binary merger - between the New University of Ulster and the Northern Ireland Polytechnic - to have occurred in the United Kingdom.  By now the University is among the largest and most distributed third-level educational institutions in these islands and is the largest university on the island of Ireland.   Like all universities, it has local, regional, national and international dimensions to its work.  Its regional activities are particularly significant and over many years members of the University have had important roles to play in the development of Northern Ireland.  There is scarcely a feature of life here in which they have not been involved in pursuit of the public good, while the institution as a whole has been among the prime movers in educational, economic and social change.

It follows from this that the University archives constitute a major and most valuable
source for anyone wishing to re-constitute and analyse the history of Northern Ireland and much else besides.  I take great pleasure, therefore, in warmly welcoming this Report of the University’s Archivist and Rare Books Curator, the first of what it is intended will be a continuing annual series.  Together with the more detailed catalogues which will follow, these Reports will be an indispensable guide to anyone wishing to consult our archives and collections of rare books.

In addition to a summary of recent developments in this area of our work and descriptions of material deposited by individuals, this first Report reproduces the University’s agreed policy in relation to its archives, together with details of the arrangements which it has set in place for the retention or disposal of its records.

I seize this opportunity of strongly encouraging all those with connections to the University to consider depositing with us archival material in their possession.  We now have excellent storage facilities at our disposal.  The terms upon which material may be deposited are negotiable.  We wish to accumulate the most representative and valuable archives that it is in our power to create.

The growing collections of manuscript and printed material which we hold are available for consultation by anyone seriously interested in them.  All enquiries as to access and/or the facilities available to researchers should be directed in the first instance to Mr. Joe McLaughlin, Archivist and Rare Books Curator, Department of Information Services, University of Ulster, Cromore Road, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry, BT52 1SA.
 I wish to thank all concerned with these very important developments and, in particular, Professor Peter Roebuck (Convenor) and the other members of the Advisory Group on Archives and Record Management who have securely charted our progress in this important area of the University’s affairs.

Professor Gerry McKenna
Vice-Chancellor & President
University of Ulster
December 2003