The main building in snow
Where do I find archives?
Archives are NOT found only in dusty basements or attics! The majority of archives are under professional care in a network of national and local record offices, university libraries and archives, libraries and museums, private businesses, charities, religious institutions and some family estates. We often refer to places that house archives as repositories.
They are kept in in clean strong rooms, which provide security and appropriate environmental conditions for their continued survival.
The majority of archives are accessible to the public and are usually only not produced if material is too fragile.They are made available to the public in supervised search rooms, where staff on duty will be able to provide advice and help on using the archives and introduce you to the many records that they have in their collections. You do not have to have a link or connection with records to look at them, many collections are open to everyone.
Our online directory ARCHON provides contact details, opening hours and links to the websites of repositories in the United Kingdom and in Search the Archives we have registers and catalogues that provide information on the holdings of these repositories.
