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Archives of the Appointments Board and its successor, the Careers Service, 1899 - 2017

 Fonds
Reference Code: GBR/0265/UA/APTB

Scope and Contents

The archives of the Appointments Board and its successor, the Careers Service comprise the full range of operational records of the boards for men and women, separately and post-amalgamation. In this catalogue, the term Appointments Board before 1974 refers to the service provided for men only.

Dates

  • Creation: 1899 - 2017

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Personal records are closed to scholars for 80 years under data protection legislation. Governing records are closed to scholars for 30 years from the date of creation as a condition of transfer.

Conditions Governing Use

Requests to publish text should be addressed to the Keeper of University Archives, photographs to the Head of Digital Content Unit. Both at Cambridge University Library, West Road, Cambridge CB3 9DR.

Biographical / Historical

The unofficial precursor to the Appointments Board, the Cambridge Appointments Association, was set up in 1899. The Board proper, providing careers guidance for male students, was established by University grace in 1902. H.A. Roberts was appointed secretary in May 1902, serving until 1932. The Women's Appointments Board was established in 1930 and, until the admission of women to full membership of the University in 1948, was conducted by Girton and Newnham Colleges from offices in London. Collaboration in the provision of services under one roof began in the 1950s; a common service has been provided since 1974. The organisation's name changed to the Careers Service in 1985; the board being replaced by a syndicate for governance purposes. In the wake of a service review in 2017, a Careers Service Committee was established as its executive body reporting jointly to the Council and General Board, supported in an advisory capacity by the Careers Service Syndicate. The organisation had offices at the following addresses: 73 Trumpington Street 1899-1904; 61 St Andrew's Street, 1904-34; Lensfield Road 1934-50; 6 Chaucer Road (with the Women's Appointments Board from 1950) 1950-76; Stuart House, Mill Lane, 1976-2019; Student Services Centre, New Museums Site, 2019- . The Women's Board had offices at the following addresses: London 1930-47; Emmanuel Road, Cambridge 1947-8; 18 Brookside, 1948-50. For background information on the Board, see in-house publication 'Report of the Cambridge University Appointments Board on twenty-five years' work, ended 27 Feb. 1927' (Cambridge University Press, 1927), catalogued as APTB 19/1 and '"A work worthy of the University". A centenary history of Cambridge University Careers Service', catalogued as APTB 19/16.

Extent

10 linear metre(s) : paper

Language of Materials

English

Other Finding Aids

A hard copy catalogue was completed in 1980-1 and expanded by hand to incorporate subsequent additions up to the mid 1980s. This catalogue was converted to digital form, expanded to incorporate additions, restructured to bring record series together and emended to take account of data protection legislation in 2001. Further restructuring to introduce management groups occurred in 2019.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

W. Kirkman, Secretary, made the first large transfer of records on 5 March 1980. Regular smaller transfers were made by Careers Service staff thereafter. In preparation for the move of the Careers Service to the Student Services Centre on the New Museums Site, a significant additional transfer was made by Careers Service staff in Nov. 2018, Jan. and Apr. 2019. APTB 3/8, 6/3/1, 18/9 were presented by Emmanuel College on 4 Apr. 1990.

Related Materials

See also among the University Archives: CUR 48; UP 60; Reports passim; Min.VI.47; GB 17/4.

General

The online catalogue was produced by University Archives staff in 2002 and emended in November 2004, February 2005, August 2007, January 2010 and June 2019.

Originator(s)

Appointments Board

Repository Details

Part of the Cambridge University Library Repository

Contact:
Cambridge University Library
West Road
Cambridge CB3 9DR United Kingdom