University History Resources: Students and Societies

Special Collections holds many archives focussing on alumni and student societies.

The University History Collection (UHC) contains records documenting the relationship between the University and its student body. Posters and photographic material within the UHC capture the student life and society events through time. The academic life of the student body is recorded with the papers of academic administration and teaching and learning.

The University History Collection – Library includes periodicals, for students and staff, including some Students’ Union magazines.

There are many deposits of personal papers from alumni that are catalogued and capture student life. Follow this link for more information: University of Reading student papers.

Records from the Student’s Union and student societies are catalogued in individual collections and listed below. Many of these collections are available for research. Those collections still to be catalogued have been indicated by the use of italics. We are working on cataloguing these papers. When items are catalogued, they become searchable via the online catalogue.

Please contact us if you need more information about any of these collections. 

More Information

• Many images of students and posters relating to student society events have been digitised and can be found on our Virtual Reading Room (VRR)
• A Century in Print: Exploring Student Life Through University of Reading’s Magazines (Part 1) – Special Collections – University of Reading
• A Century in Print: Exploring Student Life Through University of Reading’s Magazines (Part 2) | Special Collections
• The Book of Remembrance records those members of University College Reading who gave their life during World War One