The Papworth Archives Project was created by Cambridgeshire Archives Service to ensure the preservation and enhance the availability of archives relating to the history of Papworth Village Settlement and its successors, by listing those in the Service’s care and locating those elsewhere. It was made possible by a generous grant from the Wellcome Trust for the History of Medicine in its Research Resources in Medical History programme.
Specifically, the project's aims were:
- provide archive lists to modern professional standards
- make printed copies of these lists available in record offices and libraries in Cambridge, Papworth, London and elsewhere and in electronic form across the internet.
- clean and ensure the conservation stabilisation of the archive by removal of harmful materials and repackage them in accordance with modern standards
- make surrogate use copies of photographic and cine film material
- encourage, through volunteer involvement, detailed description of the archive, by identification of photographs, detailed calendaring of papers, etc
- seek out documents in official and private hands, to encourage future preservation and access by adding to the Service’s collections and to its knowledge base of archives elsewhere
- enhance the understanding of the archive with contextual information from those who have worked or lived at Papworth, including the creation of an oral history archive based upon interviews, and make that archive available
- make significant documents and illustrations available digitally, including over the internet, in order to improve access and local appreciation
- encourage the educational use of the archive at all levels, in order to improve understanding in medical history.
The project was established in 2002 and was enormously successful, confirming our belief in the significance of the archive. Details of the outcomes of this project will be found elsewhere on these webpages.
The success of the project convinced us of the value of a continuing special identity for the Papworth Archives. If you require further information, or have or know of records that may be of interest to us, do not hesitate to contact us.
The catalogues of the Papworth Village Settlement archives are now available online.