The role of the department of Manuscripts and Special Collections at the University of Nottingham is described, with reference to its early development, growth of collections across all disciplines, and current collection strengths. The professional activities of acquisition, cataloguing and providing access are set in the wider perspective of national standards and expectations of delivery. The recent establishment of the W.M.S. (Bill) and Claire Russell Archive is discussed in this context, with some account of the challenges and opportunities which the archive offers for both curators and researchers.
