Opening Hours | How to Use Archives | Guides | Maps and Plans | Other Services

Archives: Other Services

Research Service

We will undertake basic research free of charge, for more detailed research we offer a research service. We charge £15 per hour and are happy to work to your instructions. We will notify you once we have undertaken an agreed period of research, let you know our findings and ask if you would like us to proceed.

We will also advise you if we believe further research would not yield results.

Copying Facilities

Photocopies up to A3 size can be supplied unless the copying process would cause damage to the document or if copyright would be infringed. Please ask for an order form and information about prices.

We can arrange to photograph those documents which for conservation reasons cannot be photocopied.

Colour photocopies and photographic work can also be supplied; a price list is available, please contact us.

Toilet Facilities

We have male, female and disabled toilets available.

Group Visits

Talks on the work of the department and on archival topics can be arranged for school and other interested groups. There is a small charge for these services. (This is not generally available at the moment)

Use of Laptops

We are happy for people to bring their laptop computers into the searchroom, as long as all sound from the computer is turned off. You can plug into our power along one table or are welcome to use your laptop with battery at other desks.

Library

The archive has a wide range of books and professional journals on archival subjects, palaeography, local history, genealogy and use of records.

Donations and deposits of material

We depend on people to make us aware of documents which should be preserved, if you have any documents which you consider need care please contact us, we take material as donations and deposits and are always willing to consider material. Guidelines setting out standard terms of deposits of records are available on request.

We are anxious to know of any archive collection at risk. Please telephone 024 7678 5158, for further information.

Conservation

Coventry Archives cares for the documents entrusted to it, but many are in a poor state of repair before we receive them. The more heavily used items are subject to unavoidable wear and tear, but we try to minimise this by insisting that, while in use, they are properly handled. We use microfilm/fiche for the most popular and heavily used series of records, such as parish registers and cemetery records and will only rarely produce the original documents.

We ask users to use pencils at all times, not to lean on the documents or volumes and never to press down on the spine. Volumes should be properly supported and you will be supplied with cushions to prevent unnecessary strain on the volume spine. We will not photocopy material which is bound or deemed unsuitable. Other reproduction methods such as photography may be used instead.

Our Conservation Officer monitors environmental conditions in our storage areas, undertakes photographic work and is available by appointment to advise members of the public on the care of records.

top of page | back | ©The Herbert 2007 All rights reserved