What Should I Expect If I Decide To Conduct Research In An Archive?

Each archive will have their own rules and regulations for researchers. Archives are very pleased to have people interested in their collections and scholars who wish to conduct research in their institutions. Nevertheless, archivists are also there to ensure that material deposited in their care survives for decades to come and remains available in the future.

A very common rule at most archives is that researchers must leave their handbags and other personal items in lockers and must use special gloves and pencils provided by the institution when taking notes. Many larger, western archives will permit researchers to use their own laptops and some may also permit visitors to use a digital camera (often without the flash) in order to record images of documents.

All major archives will also require that you register before using any material and you may also be required to provide proof that you are a member of a recognized scholarly institution, such as a university or an academic society.

Upon registering, you will be able to consult the archive's catalogue to determine the collections you wish to see. Once you have selected the collections, these will be brought to you in boxes by the archivist. If the material is stored at another location, it may take between 24 to 48 hours to gain access to the material.

You will also usually be limited in terms of how much material you can view at once and you may not remove any material from the consultation room.

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If you are visiting an archive in England or Wales you need to obtain a CARN ticket. CARN is the County Archives research Network. Most archives will expect you to register for one although you can have a temporary ticket which can be used for three visits.

Take along proof of name, address and signature. A driving licence, utility bill and credit card will be helpful for ID. You'll have to sign in and you'll be asked to leave your bag in a locker. You should never use pens in archives as they can damage documents so take a pencil. If you haven't got one ask at the desk.
You will find reference catalogues which will tell you what the repositories are and these are classified by unique references for each of the repositories depending on their classification. You will need to fill in a request form for each item you wish to view, this is handed in to the archivists or assistants who will retrieve it for you.

If you need photocopies, fill in a request form with all reference numbers and details requested on the form You will be charged for copies and they may be sent on to you. If you do want to take photographs please ask first as there is often a limit on how many you may take and these are charged for in most archives and records offices. Access to photography especially if using a flash may be denied if documents are very fragile so do check first.

You may wish to view items which are on micro-fiche . If you are uncertain about using any of the archives materials and machinery, always ask the archivists or archives assistants who will explain and help you begin your research. Archives are quiet places so turn off mobile phones and always respect the materials kept there as most of them are irreplaceable.

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