Philip Larkin being filmed in 1964

University Archives: Departmental Collections

Brynmor Jones Library (U LIB), 1927-1996

This collection effectively covers the organisational history of the Library from the time of the establishment of University College Hull in 1928 until the early 1990s. It has been assembled and catalogued chiefly as a means of enabling those interested in the career and work of the University's second Librarian, Philip Larkin, to gain access to an additional valuable source covering a relatively neglected aspect of his life between the years 1955 and 1985. Additionally, the collection will be of interest to researchers in the field of modern library history shedding, as it does, much light on the growth and development of a modern British university and its library during its formative years.

The collection excludes individual personnel records, and the extensive holdings of photographs. It is hoped that the latter will be catalogued and made available at a later date.

View the U LIB catalogue on our online catalogue.

Adult Education Department (U ADU) 1928-1990

The Department of Adult Education was one of the original departments of the University College Hull. It was intentionally created to serve the local community and industry and was the largest department of the newly established College. In the early years of the University College, owing to the low student numbers and therefore a need to occupy staff time, many members of staff provided courses via the Adult Education department to the local community, including the later renowned Jacob Bronowski.

By 1975, the department was offering over 340 different courses with courses running in major towns and cities, including Hull, York, Grimsby and Beverley, as well as smaller villages. The Department of Adult Education was eventually replaced by the Centre for Continuing Education, Development and Training in 1994. The Centre was then closed in 1997 and today, individual departments offer short courses and part-time degrees, whilst a public lecture programme continues to be produced each year.

The collection contains predominantly subject files relating to various topics including particular courses and tutors, work with other educational associations and groups, educational events in the Yorkshire area and general administration. There are also copies of annual reports for the Department of Adult Education as well as minutes of the Board for Adult Education, the Board for Adult and Continuing Education, the Extension Committee, the Board of Extra-Mural Studies and the Joint Committee with the Workers' Educational Association (WEA). Other items include class registers, related press cuttings, pamphlets and a small number of photographs.

View the U ADU catalogue on our online catalogue.

Return to the introduction to the University Archives or view the pages on official publicationsstaff and student records or the student experience archive.