Access to secure GenAI through ChatGPT Edu
Many staff and students have been adopting GenAI tools for work and study, and the University is now providing a secure environment for those who wish to explore its potential. From the start of the 2025/26 academic year all staff and students have access to free ChatGPT Edu accounts. ChatGPT Edu offers enhanced privacy and security, and access to OpenAI’s flagship GPT-5 model, a version of ChatGPT built for universities with enterprise-level security and controls. This access is further supported by an expanded training provision, a peer network of AI Ambassadors, and a Generative AI Special Interest Group (SIG) on Microsoft Teams. The University also provides access to Microsoft Copilot Chat, Microsoft 365 Copilot licences, and Google Gemini and NotebookLM.
It‘s important that you familiarise yourself with the University’s guidance on safe and responsible use before activating your account.
Major changes to US government public data
Actions by the US administration (Spring 2025) have led to the cessation or removal of numerous federal government open datasets, including those contributing to longstanding global data series. These changes particularly affect longitudinal Census, Social Science, and Public Health collections.
At the Bodleian Libraries we’re monitoring subsequent impact on collections and data integrity with guidance materials and catalogue records being revised where appropriate. In parallel, we’re updating information literacy training (iSkills) and tracking emerging projects that seek to preserve, rehome, and promote at-risk datasets such as the Data Rescue Project.
We strongly encourage any researchers affected by these changes — or who have insights or comment — to contact their subject librarian. Your contribution could help inform our local response and broader preservation efforts.
