University of Aberdeen Collections

11/06/2026

Today maps and atlases from our collections were inspiring students participating in Jam in the Archives, a game design competition using archive and library collections. Teams from the University of Aberdeen and Abertay University will make pitches and the successful teams will participate in a final jam at the National Library of Scotland later this month.

09/06/2026

The foundation document which granted permission for the establishment of the University of Aberdeen has been recognised with UNESCO ‘Memory of the World’ status

The foundation document which granted permission for the establishment of the University of Aberdeen has been recognised with UNESCO 'Memory of the World' status.

05/06/2026

Volunteering with University Collections at the University of Aberdeen might include anything from helping with housekeeping sessions that keep collections pest-free, to researching with our archivists and rare books curators. Volunteer guides from the Zoology and Biological Sciences Society also gave tours of the Zoology Museum to over 600 visitors during the 2025-26 season, sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm with members of the public, school groups, staff and students. A huge thank you to all the volunteers who give their time working with University Collections.

04/06/2026

Due to popular demand our exhibition Aberdeen Artworlds will now be open 10:00 - 16:00 on Saturdays. The library is currently closed on Sundays. Visit this page for more information: http://abdn.io/2eG

01/06/2026

Last tickets available for Kerry Gledhill's talk about Joan Eardley on the 10th June (17.30 - 18.30, Meston Building). Book tickets here: http://abdn.io/2ef

Visit this page for more information: http://abdn.io/2ee

University Collections are delighted to welcome Kerry Gledhill from National Galleries of Scotland to talk about the artist Joan Eardley. Part of the Aberdeen Artworlds Exhibition programme.

26/05/2026

Last week our ABDN intern, Melissa, showcased the hard work she's undertaken during her internship. Melissa has spent the past month increasing accessibility of previously uncatalogued, rare printed maps. This included researching the origins of, and digitising, each map - resulting in a useful resources for anyone to use! (accessible here: http://abdn.io/2dn)

22/05/2026

JOAN EARDLEY EVENT UPDATE: Due to the high demand for tickets for Kerry Gledhill’s talk about the artist Joan Eardley on Wednesday 10th June, we will be relocating the talk to the lecture theatre in the Meston Building (just across from the Sir Duncan Rice Library) to enable more people to attend.

If you would like to book tickets, please use the link on the University Collections What’s On page: http://abdn.io/2d3
For information about the Meston Building visit this page: http://abdn.io/2d4

If you have any problems booking or have questions about this event, please contact University Collections.

University Collections are delighted to welcome Kerry Gledhill from National Galleries of Scotland to talk about the artist Joan Eardley. Part of the Aberdeen Artworlds Exhibition programme.

20/05/2026

We recently acquired an important and rich collection of herbarium specimens relating to the biodiversity of Northeast Scotland, collected by David Welch - the county recorder for Kincardine and North Aberdeen for Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland for many years.

We are grateful to David's family for allowing us to acquire this collection of specimens, including type specimens discovered and named by David, and to Vice-County Recorder David Elston for all his support with the acquisition and cataloguing of the collection.

18/05/2026

This we're sharing a video from colleagues in the Nanyue King Musuem, Guangzhou. 13 items cared for by University Collections travelled to China earlier this month for dislay in the exhibition 'A Gift of the Nile: Ancient Egyptian Artefacts and Digital Art Experience'.

14/05/2026

Inspired by the art in our exhibition Aberdeen Artworlds? Enter the Wayword Festival's Ekphrastic Poetry (poetry about an artwork) competition! Wayword are offering a £250 prize. Deadline 31st August, for more information follow the link: http://abdn.io/2bQ