This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Read More
When a data migration issue with AdLib limited visibility into their archive collection, St. Edmund Hall Archivist Rob Petre investigated Soutron and found a web-based system that uploaded all legacy data without re-cataloging, preserved original reference numbers, and went live with a public search portal giving researchers access to 17th-century records from anywhere.
The St. Edmund Hall Archive covers administrative papers, financial records dating back to 1692, buildings history, club and society records, and personal papers of former Principals, Fellows, and students. Soutron gave Archivist Rob Petre a flexible, web-based system with live keyword updates, custom date fields for Victorian-era records, granular copyright controls, and a public search portal he describes as instinctive to use.
St Edmund Hall has a claim to be the oldest surviving academic society to house and educate undergraduates in any university and it continues to provide an inspiring home for their students today.
Affectionately known as ‘Teddy Hall’, the Hall takes its name from St Edmund of Abingdon, former Archbishop of Canterbury, who taught in a house on site in the 1190s. The archives of St Edmund Hall date from the 17th century onwards, covering all aspects of Hall life.
The College’s old buildings are concentrated in the Front Quadrangle, which is one of the most attractive in Oxford. The Chapel and Old Library were built at the end of the seventeenth century. It was the first Oxford library to be built with shelves along the walls. Both historic and forward thinking, the College aims to become a greener, more diverse, and accessible home for world-leading research and teaching. It is known for a friendly atmosphere, along with sporting and creative traditions.
“I would recommend Soutron to other archives.”
Rob Petre
Archivist, St Edmund Hall
Oxford University
The St Edmund Hall Archive exists to collect, manage, and utilize the recorded heritage of both the administrative and social aspects of the College. The archives of St Edmund Hall consist mostly of administrative papers of the Hall, with some papers on individual Principals, Vice-Principals, and members of the Hall (Aularians).
The archive has been cataloged by placing each item in a section that reflects the source of the material, or the activity that produced it. For example, official accounts are cataloged under the section BF, Bursary and Finance, whilst records of matriculation come under MEM, Membership records.
Archive documents held fall into several categories:
When faced with a data migration issue with AdLib that limited visibility into their archive digital collection, a new system needed to be put in place. Data is at the heart of every archive, and access to that data provides much needed visibility and value. A new solution was needed.
Delivering results for universities, schools and colleges with archival collections like St Edmund Hall at Oxford University.
Having recently seen a mention of Web-based Soutron, St Edmunds Hall Archivist Rob Petre investigated and subsequently selected Soutron Archive to house their archival collection. Web-based Soutron Archive was easily able to upload and make visible all the legacy archive data, eliminating the need to have to re-catalog the items.
Modern, Web-based Archive System
Soutron Archive is a modern system that securely stores irreplaceable information, ensuring access and providing for its continued relevance for generations to come.
This long-term availability and discoverability ensures that researchers and scholars have access to invaluable resources that are not available anywhere else.
The modern, robust archiving features of Soutron makes cataloging of materials easy, actively supporting research endeavors and helping to contribute to knowledge expansion at the University.
“Soutron is instinctive to use,” states Rob. “The field records are nicely ordered in a straightforward manner to fit the workload into one page. Having the fields show up straightaway lets you see what you’ve done and what’s next, unlike some systems that use a tab structure, and you must click from tab to tab.”
Flexible Archive Database
Soutron Archive provides a flexible and customizable relational database, enabling users to categorize and classify archival items using custom fields, such as custom Victorian era dates. The flexibility of the Soutron database was appreciated upon implementation of the system, and that flexibility has continued to provide value to the archive with regards to the inherited catalogs the archive acquires. “The data is easy to enter without having to change the original reference numbers, something other systems can’t accommodate,” states Rob. “With Soutron we can still use the old reference numbers.” This eliminates downstream work such as re-labeling materials with new numbers, while continuing to provide easy access to the collection materials.
Flexibility is not just about managing information; it is about presenting it in a way that enhances the user experience. Keyword changes and additions made to the database are made live immediately, “I appreciate being able to add new live keywords as I’m cataloging,” states Rob.
Public Access, Copyright, and Data Privacy
Soutron’s integrated search portal gives users the power to control the display and access of record results. The search portal provides both public access and restricted access to materials stored in the database with both a simple search with facets, along with an advanced search.
This control and search functionality is crucial for displaying special archive collections in a way that bolsters the reputation of the archive. “The public search portal is easy to use, and advanced search is most helpful,” states Rob.
Copyright and control over who can see and download materials is also flexibly applied. Granular levels of security permissions are provided, enabling access to certain materials to be given or denied. For instance, many photos, especially event group photos, have copyright claims by their agency, and the archive limits access and does not provide those photos to the public.
These security permissions along with industry-leading security measures ensure that private archive materials and sensitive records remain protected.
These security measures protect the interests of the institution. Per Rob, “It’s easy to create closed records that the public doesn’t have access to due to copyright or personal privacy rights, such as access to a Dean discipline list.”
Soutron Archive has helped to solidify the role of the archive at St. Edmunds Hall as a vital guardian of Oxford University information and knowledge, ensuring accessibility to information and continued relevance.
“I would recommend Soutron to other archives. Their help desk is quick to act, better than any other that I have had to deal with,” states Rob. “Sometimes I’ve gotten a response within minutes. Soutron has been very good at tweaking their database system to accommodate our needs.”
The public archive of St. Edmunds Hall at Oxford University, can be accessed here: www.soutron.com/seh
To find out how you can migrate to a fast, secure, cloud-based archive management system to support your college, university or school archive collections, book a 20 minute discovery call with us today, see below.
“Soutron is instinctive to use,” states Rob. “The field records are nicely ordered in a straightforward manner to fit the workload into one page. Having the fields show up straightaway lets you see what you’ve done and what’s next, unlike some systems that use a tab structure, and you must click from tab to tab.”
Rob Petre
Archivist, St Edmund Hall
Oxford University
View another case study from this industry sector.
Simply complete the form on the right to start a conversation with one of our specialists today.
We look forward to hearing from you.
The first step is to learn more. Here's how we can answer your questions:
Yes. Soutron Archive migrated the entire St. Edmund Hall archive from AdLib, making all legacy data fully visible without requiring any re-cataloging. Existing reference numbers were preserved across the entire collection, including inherited catalogs, eliminating the need to re-label materials or rebuild the reference structure.
Yes. Soutron Archive provides a flexible, customizable relational database that supports custom fields including custom date formats for Victorian-era and other historic records. St. Edmund Hall used this flexibility to catalog archival materials dating back to the 17th century without being constrained by fixed field structures.
Yes. Soutron's integrated search portal supports both public and restricted access at the record level. St. Edmund Hall uses granular security permissions to give public access to the majority of their collection while restricting photos with agency copyright claims and closing sensitive records such as personal disciplinary files.
Yes. Soutron Archive is a web-based system with a public-facing search portal that gives researchers and scholars online access to archival collections. St. Edmund Hall's public archive portal is accessible at soutron.com/seh, providing both simple faceted search and advanced search for records spanning centuries of college history.
