1. The Bodleian Library is cataloguing the papers of several important geneticists and medical researchers as part of the Saving Oxford Medicine project, including Sir Walter and Lady Julia Bodmer. 2. The Bodmer collection consists of over 2,200 boxes and documents their work in genetics and cancer research. It presents challenges for archivists in terms of preservation, interpretation, and handling sensitive personal data. 3. By working closely with donors, consulting experts, and making selective redactions, the project aims to balance access to these important scientific archives with protecting individual privacy under data protection laws.

1. SAVINGSAVING
OXFORDOXFORD
MEDICINE:MEDICINE:
An Overview and aAn Overview and a
Case Study of aCase Study of a
Geneticist’s ArchiveGeneticist’s Archive

2. Duke
Humfrey’
s Library
Bodleian
Library
Oxford

3. Ashmole
manuscript
s
Depiction of a
urinoscopy and a
dissection
13th
century
MS. Ashmole 399,
fol. 34r

4. Henry Wentworth AclandHenry Wentworth Acland
 Regius Professor ofRegius Professor of
Medicine, 1857-94Medicine, 1857-94
 Helped to found theHelped to found the
Honour School ofHonour School of
Natural Science,Natural Science,
18501850
 Championed theChampioned the
building of thebuilding of the
University MuseumUniversity Museum

5. The old
Indian
Institute
Oxford
Home of the
Contemporary
Scientific
Archives
Centre, 1973-
1975

6. Aims and objectivesAims and objectives
 DiscoverDiscover
 PreservePreserve
 PromotePromote

7. Survey workSurvey work
 Survey of archives of RegiusSurvey of archives of Regius
Professors of Medicine at Oxford,Professors of Medicine at Oxford,
1900-20001900-2000
 Survey of all clinical and non-clinicalSurvey of all clinical and non-clinical
departments in the Medical Sciencesdepartments in the Medical Sciences
DivisionDivision

8. Records of the RegiusRecords of the Regius
Professors of MedicineProfessors of Medicine
J.S. BurdonJ.S. Burdon
SandersonSanderson
Regius Professor ofRegius Professor of
MedicineMedicine
1895-19041895-1904

9. Acquisitions, 2011-2014Acquisitions, 2011-2014
 Hugh CairnsHugh Cairns
 Hugh SinclairHugh Sinclair
 Dorothy HodgkinDorothy Hodgkin
 Rod PorterRod Porter
 James GowansJames Gowans
 Bronwen LoderBronwen Loder
 David WeatherallDavid Weatherall
 Louise JohnsonLouise Johnson

10. Hugh CairnsHugh Cairns (1896-1952)(1896-1952)
neurosurgeonneurosurgeon

11. Hugh SinclairHugh Sinclair (1910-1990)(1910-1990)
nutritionistnutritionist
GroupGroup
containingcontaining
three Regiusthree Regius
Professors,Professors,
outside theoutside the
PhysiologyPhysiology
Lab, Oxford,Lab, Oxford,
c.1894c.1894

12. Dorothy HodgkinDorothy Hodgkin (1910-1994)(1910-1994)
chemist & x-ray crystallographerchemist & x-ray crystallographer

13. Rodney Robert PorterRodney Robert Porter
(1917-1985) immunologist(1917-1985) immunologist
Hand-colouredHand-coloured
lantern slidelantern slide
showing equipmentshowing equipment
demonstratingdemonstrating
columncolumn
chromatography,chromatography,
19571957

14. James L. GowansJames L. Gowans (b.1924)(b.1924)
immunologistimmunologist
A humanA human
lymphocyte, viewedlymphocyte, viewed
under an electronunder an electron
microscope.microscope.
Gowans discoveredGowans discovered
the life-cycle of thethe life-cycle of the
lymphocyte in 1959.lymphocyte in 1959.

15. Bronwen LoderBronwen Loder (b.1932)(b.1932)
biochemist and scientific administratorbiochemist and scientific administrator

16. David WeatherallDavid Weatherall (b.1933)(b.1933)
haematologist & molecular geneticisthaematologist & molecular geneticist

17. Louise JohnsonLouise Johnson (1940-2012)(1940-2012)
biochemist and protein crystallographerbiochemist and protein crystallographer

18. Archives catalogued,Archives catalogued,
2011-20142011-2014
 Ida MannIda Mann
 Edith BülbringEdith Bülbring
 Oxford Diabetes TrustOxford Diabetes Trust
 Oxford Medical SocietyOxford Medical Society
 Hugh SinclairHugh Sinclair
 Rod PorterRod Porter

19. Ida MannIda Mann (1893-1983)(1893-1983)
ophthalmologistophthalmologist

20. Edith BEdith Büülbringlbring (1903-1990)(1903-1990)
pharmacologist & physiologistpharmacologist & physiologist

21. Mabel Purefoy FitzgeraldMabel Purefoy Fitzgerald
(1872-1973) physiologist & pathologist(1872-1973) physiologist & pathologist

22. Cataloguing projectsCataloguing projects
Projects funded by the Wellcome Trust:Projects funded by the Wellcome Trust:
Bodmer archive, 2,200 boxesBodmer archive, 2,200 boxes
Oxfam Archive, 10,000 boxesOxfam Archive, 10,000 boxes

23. Oxfam ArchiveOxfam Archive (1942-2010)(1942-2010)

24. Promoting thePromoting the
collectionscollections
 Project pageProject page
 BlogBlog
 TwitterTwitter
 ExhibitionsExhibitions

25. Saving Oxford Medicine
Project page

26. Saving Oxford Medicine
Blog

27. Bodleian Library
Twitter account - @bodleianlibs

28. Current Bodleian
Exhibition – ends 18 May 2014

29. Preserving ModernPreserving Modern
Science CollectionsScience Collections
The papers of geneticists Sir WalterThe papers of geneticists Sir Walter
Bodmer and Lady Julia BodmerBodmer and Lady Julia Bodmer

30.  Genetics archive projectsGenetics archive projects
– the landscape– the landscape
 The Bodmers – biographyThe Bodmers – biography
and the collectionand the collection
 Archivists and modernArchivists and modern
science collections:science collections:
challenges and solutionschallenges and solutions
 PreservationPreservation
 InterpretationInterpretation
 Access – Data Protection ActAccess – Data Protection Act

31. 1. Cataloguing Projects1. Cataloguing Projects
 (Bodleian Library, Oxford) Cataloguing the Papers of(Bodleian Library, Oxford) Cataloguing the Papers of
Sir Walter and Lady Julia Bodmer (Saving OxfordSir Walter and Lady Julia Bodmer (Saving Oxford
Medicine)Medicine)
 (Edinburgh University Library) ‘Towards Dolly:(Edinburgh University Library) ‘Towards Dolly:
Edinburgh, Roslin and the Birth of Modern Genetics’Edinburgh, Roslin and the Birth of Modern Genetics’
 (John Innes Research Centre, Norwich) ‘Cataloguing(John Innes Research Centre, Norwich) ‘Cataloguing
the archives of William Bateson and Cyril D. Darlington’the archives of William Bateson and Cyril D. Darlington’
 (Kings College, London) ‘DNA and Social(Kings College, London) ‘DNA and Social
Responsibility: Cataloguing and preserving the papersResponsibility: Cataloguing and preserving the papers

32. 2. ‘Codebreakers: makers of2. ‘Codebreakers: makers of
modern genetics’modern genetics’

33. 3. Human Genome Archive Project3. Human Genome Archive Project
 Scoping initiative launched 2012 byScoping initiative launched 2012 by
Wellcome LibraryWellcome Library
 Survey of archives created duringSurvey of archives created during
Human Genome Project (1977-2004)Human Genome Project (1977-2004)
 Emphasis on harvesting born-digitalEmphasis on harvesting born-digital
material – saving contemporarymaterial – saving contemporary
sciencescience

34. SummarySummary
 Substantial body of genetics resources nowSubstantial body of genetics resources now
availableavailable
 Network of archivists working on scienceNetwork of archivists working on science
collectionscollections
 Bodmer project at Bodleian contributes
significantly towards wider documentation of
this crucial field of scientific endeavour

35. Walter Bodmer (b. 1936)Walter Bodmer (b. 1936)
 Manchester Grammar SchoolManchester Grammar School
 Cambridge University (1956-60) –Cambridge University (1956-60) –
Undergrad/Ph.D (Undergrad/Ph.D (maths, statistics, population genetics)maths, statistics, population genetics)
 Stanford University (1961-69)Stanford University (1961-69)
 Oxford University (1970-79) – First ProfessorOxford University (1970-79) – First Professor
of Geneticsof Genetics
 Imperial Cancer Research Fund, Director ofImperial Cancer Research Fund, Director of
Research, Director-General (1980-96)Research, Director-General (1980-96)
 Principal of Hertford Collection, OxfordPrincipal of Hertford Collection, Oxford
University (1996-2005)University (1996-2005)
Head of Cancer and Immunogenetics Lab,Head of Cancer and Immunogenetics Lab,
Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine,Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine,
Oxford (1996- present day)Oxford (1996- present day)

36. Julia Bodmer (1934-2001)Julia Bodmer (1934-2001)
 State scholarship from ManchesterState scholarship from Manchester
High School to read (PPE) at OxfordHigh School to read (PPE) at Oxford
UniversityUniversity
 Statistical Assistant, CambridgeStatistical Assistant, Cambridge
University (1956-60)University (1956-60)
 Research Assistant, StanfordResearch Assistant, Stanford
University (1961-69)University (1961-69)
 Research Officer, GeneticsResearch Officer, Genetics
Laboratory, Oxford UniversityLaboratory, Oxford University
(1970-79)(1970-79)
 Head of Tissue AntigenHead of Tissue Antigen
Laboratory, ICRF, London (1980-Laboratory, ICRF, London (1980-
96)96)
 Joint Head of Cancer andJoint Head of Cancer and
Immunogenetics Lab, WeatherallImmunogenetics Lab, Weatherall
Institute of Molecular Medicine,Institute of Molecular Medicine,
Oxford (1996-2001)Oxford (1996-2001)

37. ““To my wife, please doTo my wife, please do
not shred all mynot shred all my
papers!”papers!”

38. The Archive – 2216 boxes (18The Archive – 2216 boxes (18
month project)month project)

39. Societies & Organisations (603 boxes)Societies & Organisations (603 boxes)

40. Preservation ofPreservation of
science/biomedical archivesscience/biomedical archives

41. Experiment work on the geneticExperiment work on the genetic
analysis of human-mouse somatic cellsanalysis of human-mouse somatic cells

43. Gel electrophoresisGel electrophoresis

44. GelGel
electrophoresiselectrophoresis

47. Interpretation – how toInterpretation – how to
describe?describe?

48. Interpretation - solutionsInterpretation - solutions
 Work in partnership with donor/recordWork in partnership with donor/record
creator if possible – build a relationshipcreator if possible – build a relationship
 Connections with other archivistsConnections with other archivists
 Consult externally – scientists, medicalConsult externally – scientists, medical
profession, historians, etc.profession, historians, etc.

49. Access and Legislation –Access and Legislation –
challengeschallenges
 Data Protection Act – sensitive personal dataData Protection Act – sensitive personal data
 Finding balance between providing accessFinding balance between providing access
with protecting individual’s privacywith protecting individual’s privacy
 Over 1/3 of collection has some level ofOver 1/3 of collection has some level of
sensitivitysensitivity

50. Sensitive or confidentialSensitive or confidential
material in Bodmer archivematerial in Bodmer archive
 Named blood donor dataNamed blood donor data
 Named donor data of families and family treesNamed donor data of families and family trees
 Photographs of individual’s which reveal medical conditionsPhotographs of individual’s which reveal medical conditions
 Hospital patient lists/records (structured case notes or informal)Hospital patient lists/records (structured case notes or informal)
 Grant applications containing confidential references/statements ofGrant applications containing confidential references/statements of
opinionopinion
 ICRF personnel files incl. staff appraisals, staff appointments,ICRF personnel files incl. staff appraisals, staff appointments,
pension details, etc.pension details, etc.
 References and recommendationsReferences and recommendations
 Corporate confidentiality – high level meetingsCorporate confidentiality – high level meetings
 Opinions on staff, other scientists and their researchOpinions on staff, other scientists and their research
 Nominations for Royal Society, Nobel Prize, etc.Nominations for Royal Society, Nobel Prize, etc.
 Architectural plans of research units identifying location of animal-Architectural plans of research units identifying location of animal-
houseshouses

51. Access and Legislation:Access and Legislation:
solutionssolutions
 Forward plan: identify common types ofForward plan: identify common types of
sensitivities early– make consistentsensitivities early– make consistent
decisions on ‘closed’ datadecisions on ‘closed’ data
 Targeted correspondence, partiallyTargeted correspondence, partially
restricted boxes that were originally markedrestricted boxes that were originally marked
for full closure – 70 % correspondencefor full closure – 70 % correspondence
opened upopened up

52. http://savingoxfordmedicine.blogspot.co.uk/http://savingoxfordmedicine.blogspot.co.uk/
savingoxfordmedicine@bodleian.ox.ac.uksavingoxfordmedicine@bodleian.ox.ac.uk