Contact us

Our Enquiry Service

We’re always happy to answer questions about our collections and our services.  

We can provide the following information when responding to your query: 

• Information on what collections we hold, and which collections may be relevant to your research topic 
• Guidance on how to navigate our catalogues and finding aids, alongside where to find digitised material
• Information on our services and how to access items in the collection
• Information on copyright and publishing material in our collections

Please note that we are unable to conduct research on your behalf. However, we have extensive catalogues and finding aids available online and in the library. We can offer support in how to use these resources and help you begin your research journey.  

If you’d like to ask us a question, you can contact us through our enquiry form.  

We are committed to responding to all enquiries within 20 working days, though we will often respond much quicker than this. 

Restrictions on Access

Anyone can visit us, free of charge, to access our collections. You do not have to be a member of Durham University to look at material.  

There are some items, however, which do have restrictions on access. These will be clearly marked in our catalogues and can be for the following reasons:  

• Legislation: Some material will be restricted under law, such as items containing personal information
• Donor requests: There can be agreements in place with those who donated material that restrict access.  

There may be also some items which cannot be produced because they are too fragile or in poor condition.    

If we cannot allow access to an item, we’ll always explain why the material isn’t available and try to offer alternatives.  

Other ways to engage with our collections

The archives are housed at Palace Green Library, which is also home to the World Heritage Site visitors centre. You can visit us free of charge to learn more about the history of Durham. We have recently opened an exhibition on items in our collections, and you can visit the 17th century Cosin’s Library, one of the earliest public libraries in England. Other events will be posted on our social media webpages.