In 2024, on the occasion of its 60th anniversary, EMBO collaborated with archivist Alexander Barrington to catalogue the EMBO archive for the first time.
The catalogue is now available online: archive.embo.org
We asked Alexander to tell us more.
The EMBO Archive project was a major undertaking – how did you approach organizing and cataloguing six decades of materials?
The EMBO Archive project was certainly ambitious, and tackling so much material was a real challenge. My first step was to gain a solid understanding of EMBO as an organisation: its structure, how decisions are made, and how activities are documented. That context was essential, because it allowed me to see patterns in the records and understand what kinds of documents were being produced. From there, I applied a “macro” approach to appraisal: instead of focusing on every individual document, I assessed the archive at a higher level, looking at records in terms of their function or subject. This approach not only made the process more efficient, but also shaped the way I arranged the material in the end, because I was able to structure things according to how EMBO as an organization actually works.
What was the most surprising or unexpected discovery you made in the EMBO Archive? Was there a particular document, correspondence, or piece of history that really impacted or changed your understanding of the organization?
The big one was definitely the hand-written draft of the constitution written by John Kendrew and Max Perutz. The existence of large international organizations which collaborate on everything from economic policy to scientific discovery is something we take for granted nowadays, but finding that reminded me that it was quite a novel thing at the time. Europe was obviously still reeling from half a century of instability and war, and building something like EMBO, and deciding what it was going to be and what it would stand for was a real endeavour.
Now that you’ve had this unique insight into EMBO’s history, what would you say are the key moments that have really shaped the organization into what it is today? What stories does the archive tell about the evolution of (European) molecular biology?
One of the unusual things about EMBO and EMBL is the nine-year rule. Alongside its focus on novel research and young scientists this keeps a steady flow of fresh ideas and perspectives coming in. One of the results of this is that it is always focused on recognizing the needs of its members and the scientific community more broadly and how these things change with time. EMBO sees that aside from Nature there aren’t any many major European scientific journals, so it creates its own. It sees that young group leaders in the early stages of their careers lack funds, networking opportunities, and mentorship, so it creates the YIP. It sees the need for better science communication and policy formation, so it creates the Science Policy platform. EMBO always looks for the gaps and tries to think of how it can play a role in filling them.
Having spent a full year immersed in EMBO’s history and legacy, how has this experience influenced your perspective on the role of archives in preserving scientific knowledge? Has it changed how you think about your work as an archivist?
It underscored for me how important archives are for preserving the context in which science happens. EMBO is proof of how collaboration, policy, and community-building have shaped molecular biology in Europe and beyond. Our work isn’t just about keeping material safe, it’s about making sure that that story remains accessible to future generations.
What do you hope researchers, scientists and the public will discover when they explore the new online catalogue? Is there anything you’re particularly excited for them to see?
Hopefully they won’t find any (more) spelling mistakes!*
The variety of material we’ve got is pretty radical! The aforementioned hand-written draft of the EMBO constitution, a video of Max Perutz’s speech at the opening of the new building, and countless photographs from EMBO courses + workshops from decades past. The most important thing for me is that it stays alive and gets amended and added to over the years.
* But if you do, please contact the Archive.
