Frequently asked questions

What is the 'Modern Genetics and its Foundations Project'?

What content will you digitise?

Can I access archive material in the Rare Materials Room whilst it is being digitised?

How do I know if the item(s) I wish to consult is available?

How and when will the collections be made accessible?

Where can I find further information?

What is the 'Modern Genetics and its Foundations Project'?

The 'Modern Genetics and its Foundations Project' began in January 2010 and will see the digitisation of up to half a million images from the Library's archival holdings. The project is a pilot project, centred on the first of four themes that have been selected as the major foci of the Library's development over the next five years. The other themes are Public Health, Mental Health, and Infectious Disease.

One of the collections included in this project is the substantial Francis Crick archive - nearly 300 boxes of scientific papers spanning Crick's DNA and neurobiology research, including draft articles and books, lectures, research notes, and extensive correspondence with Crick's scientific colleagues and the general public. Other notable people and organisations include the papers of Fred Sanger , Arthur Ernest Mourant , the Medical Research Council Blood Group Unit, Honor Fell, the Eugenics Society, and Carlos Paton Blacker.

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What content will you digitise?

A dozen collections will be digitised relating to the theme of genetics research and biochemistry. These are largely made up of personal papers of eminent geneticists and medical researchers, although papers of organisations are also represented. The content ranges in date from 1863 to 2008 and includes diaries, notebooks, case studies, correspondence, research papers, and much more. See our content list for a list of collections to be digitised.

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Can I access archive material in the Rare Materials Room whilst it is being digitised?

Collections, or parts thereof, will not be available to readers for consultation during preparation and digitisation. We regret that we are unable to make any exceptions to allow individual readers access to material undergoing digitisation. Prior to making any arrangements to visit the Library please check the archives digitisation schedule for up-to-date information on affected collections, or contact the Archives and Manuscripts team at arch+mss@wellcome.ac.uk or telephone +44 (0)20 7611 8899, to ensure that the material you require will be available for consultation.

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How do I know if the item(s) I wish to consult is available?

For details of collections to be digitised from November 2011 please check the archives digitisation schedule. Microfilm copies of material in the Eugenics Society collection (SA/EUG) will not be affected and will remain available for consultation.

You can also check whether a specific item within a collection is temporarily unavailable by searching for the item in the Archives and Manuscripts catalogue. Open the relevant item level record by clicking on the blue number to the left-hand side, and scroll down to the Access Conditions field. If an item is unavailable it will state ‘This material is undergoing digitisation and will not be available for consultation until…’ If you have any queries relating to the access of a collection please contact the Archives and Manuscripts team at arch+mss@wellcome.ac.uk or telephone +44 (0)20 7611 8899.

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How and when will the collections be made accessible?

Digitised material will be made freely available online from autumn 2012 as part of the Wellcome Digital Library. Some restrictions will apply - see the Library's Access to Archives policy [PDF 278KB] for full details of online access.

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