Before your visit
Start by searching our online catalogue to choose what you need. As most of our collections are stored off-site we need at least a week’s notice to recall the items you need and have them ready for your visit.
During your visit
New users will be asked to complete a registration form and agree to the reading room rules below. Please bring a form of photo ID to your appointment to complete the registration. During the appointment, you’ll be shown to our supervised researcher desk where you’ll be able to browse your requested material.
Reading room rules:
- Use a pencil only for making notes.
- Water can be consumed but only away from the archive material. No food is allowed.
- Handle documents with care – don’t lean on them and never force volumes to open flat, use our cushions and weights instead.
- Never take documents outside the archive office.
- Digital cameras and other devices are allowed. Please see our terms and conditions available in the Archives Centre.
- Always respect other archive office users, for example, your phone should always be on mute.
Enquiry service
We also offer an enquiry service for general historical enquiries.
Please contact us in the first instance to see if we can help you. Enquiry details will be kept for two years before deletion.