This annual publication serves as both a functional calendar and a historical record of the architectural and academic life of Oxford University. The Oxford University Press produces this almanack to document a specific site within the university through commissioned artwork while providing essential temporal data. It functions as a bridge between the university's long-standing traditions and the practical needs of its community members.

Experts and collectors view this series as a significant archival record of Oxford's evolving campus landscape. Readers frequently note the aesthetic value of the annual illustrations alongside the utility of the provided academic and astronomical data.