Coventry University Archives: News

Material donated to Coventry University Archives in 2022

Another year and another look back at what we’ve received this year. Not sure how to start the list – do we go by size, weight, quirkiness, date, or stick a pin in a list with our eyes shut to make a random choice. I’ve gone for the latter, using one of the items donated (a pin badge).

The pin badge picked itself on the list as it was part of a donation by Marketing & Communications in February, which had a variety of material such as magazines, newsletters, press cuttings, prospectuses, student union items as well as promotional objects sent to alumni including plastic drinks coasters, a welcome to Coventry University pack containing a USB stick and a plastic name tag, plus the silver pin badge showing a phoenix (the university logo).

Other objects received via different sources included a model of the university library (Frederick Lanchester building) from Estates, a ‘gonk’ rubber mobile phone holder from IT Services (now called Digital Services) and a Coventry University paperweight used by a former Library Director.

Student Union material donated included a Lanchester College of Technology 1961 union handbook and later ones from the mid-1970s. Plus clubs & society handbooks, leaflets on welfare and housing, and photos of student life, activities and events.

There has been a lot of activity on the university campus in Coventry because of refurbishment or demolition of buildings for various reasons. This means that staff and functions have had to move to temporary or permanent new locations, and this triggered the need to look at material for disposal or ‘rescue’.

This was the case with the Alan Berry building, which was emptied earlier this year prior to its demolition and it led to two donations featuring administrative files, annual reviews and reports, degree/honours ceremony programmes, and visitors books (including those signed by people receiving honorary doctorates). Other material included a Focus News handout publicising an alumni weekend in June 2006 which included a 2-Tone themed gala dinner plus reunion lunches and campus tours.

Other donations highlights included a Coventry School of Art & Design publication aimed at a new course for students with a ‘passion for fashion’ interested in working in the clothing and retail industries. The publication was cunningly disguised as a fashion pattern envelope.

Potential students were enticed to the university by a postcard showing scenes from Coventry, and a final example of a donation was a leaflet for students using the Lanchester Polytechnic library. Not quite sure what the figure in the leaflet was meant to represent so answers on a postcard please.