Off and On Again
Retro Games and Digital Preservation
Step into another world with the Bodleian Libraries' store of digital technology and memorabilia. Join us at this hands-on event for the chance to explore items used by the Libraries' digital preservation team, including a BBC Micro, retro game emulators and a Windows 98 machine, and discover more about the fascinating development of video games over tea, coffee and cake.
Whether you remember using these items or are encountering them for the first time, come along, network, and share your thoughts, as we unravel the stories behind these pieces of technology and explore how the past continues to shape our digital future.
Organised by the Centre for Digital Scholarship and Radcliffe Science Library, Bodleian Libraries
Speaker Biography
The event will be led by Jack Orchard, Content Editor for the Electronic Enlightenment project in the Bodleian Libraries. His research focuses on historical game studies and the communication of historical emotions and subjectivities. He currently sits on the editorial board of the Multiplay Game Studies Network and the steering committee of the Games and Literary Theory Network. He has published on medieval religion in games, gothic videogame design, and affective mediation in games.
Schedule
| Time | Activity |
| 10.00am | Explore items from the Bodleian Libraries' store of digital technology and memorabilia. |
| 11.00am | Join a talk by Jack Orchard on the digital preservation of games and find out more about the items on display. Tea, coffee and cake will be provided. |
| 11.30am | Opportunity to carry on exploring the items on display. |
| 12.00pm | Event finishes. |
Event Details and Registration
This free in-person event is open to University of Oxford staff and students only.
Registration required. Sign up here and come along at any point to some or all of the event. Registration closes at 17:00 on Monday 1st June 2026.
Date and time: Wednesday 3 June, 10.00-12.00
Location: Seminar Room, Radcliffe Science Library, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QP
For further information, please email the Centre for Digital Scholarship: cds@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.
This event is now fully booked
Centre for Digital Scholarship
The Centre for Digital Scholarship (CDS) at the Bodleian Libraries is a space and place for engaging, leading and shaping discussions around digital scholarship practice and research within and beyond the University of Oxford.
Radcliffe Science Library
The Radcliffe Science Library (RSL) is Oxford University's main teaching and research science library, offering great scientific collections, support to students and research staff and a range of spaces for working and relaxing.
About the Digital Preservation Team
The Digital Preservation Team is based within the Bodleian Libraries' Digital Systems and Services and Office for Open Research departments. The team is responsible for monitoring and safeguarding the Libraries' digital collections.