Oxford Open Doors 2015

Oxford Open Doors 2015, a partnership between the Oxford Preservation Trust and Oxford University, will take place on the 12th and 13th of September.

This year's event is on the theme of books and printing, with tours around college buildings, gardens and archives, as well as public lectures, an interactive science fair, music recitals and poetry workshops.

Many colleges are open to the public, from the 1696 baroque interior of the Upper Library at The Queen's College, to an exhibition at Regent's Park College which will explore the way early children's literature and travel writing presented guidance about virtue and vice to their readers.

At the newly refurbished Weston Library, visitors can print their own keepsakes using the “book machine”, tour the Conservation studios and see the Marks of Genius exhibition, where some of the Bodleian’s treasures will be on display.

Also at the Weston Library, Dr Janice Kinory of the Institute of Archaeology will talk about the Historic Environment Image Resource project (HEIR), which makes early photographs of the city available online for the public to view and compare.

Further afield, a walking tour of Wytham Woods will explore the history and ecology of one of the most studied areas of woodland in the world.

Professor Andrew Hamilton, Vice-Chancellor of the University, said: 'One of our major priorities is to improve and deepen our links with the city of Oxford and its communities. In the last few years we have set up a project to provide funding for local community projects, and a scheme which lets community and artistic organisations use college and department buildings for free.'

The full programme of events can be found at the Oxford Open Doors website. Booking is essential for some events.