Archives

What are archives?

Archives are records of enduring value and form the direct, uninterrupted and authentic voice of the past. They record the daily life and work of people and organisations. Archives are found in many forms; they include maps, deeds, parish registers, letters, diaries, financial papers, photographs, film and sound recordings. East Midlands archives are collected, preserved and made accessible by a wide range of organisations across the region.

Organisations with archival collections

There are 74 archive holding organisations in the East Midlands, including six main archive services and a regional film archive. These range from small community archive groups to a national institution.

Institutions holding archival collections include:

5 local authority archives,  
2 film and sound archives,
11 libraries, 
19 museums and galleries, 
4 businesses, 
5 universities,
5 schools and colleges, 
7 castles and stately homes,
1 national collection,
7 cathedral libraries and other religious organisations, 
8 professional organisations and charities.

For details of archive repositories and services in the East Midlands visit the links on the left hand side of this page or go to ARCHON.