The Working Papers of Iona and Peter Opie

Abstract

The present article considers the papers at the Bodleian Libraries, specifically the Opies' primary and secondary data relating to children's verbal art and play. A finding aid for the Opie Working Papers was compiled in 2011, and the material itself is available for consultation onsite in Oxford. A project entitled "Childhoods and Play: An Archive" has recently been set up to seek funding for the full cataloging and digitization of the Opie papers and, subject to the necessary permission, to make them freely available online for academic, educational, and community purposes. The project has been granted British Academy Research Project status (2012-17) and is a collaboration between the University of Sheffield, the University of London Institute of Education, the Bodleian Libraries, the British Library, and the Folklore Society.