Donating and loaning records to Surrey History Centre

Family archiveSurrey History Centre is constantly striving to expand its holdings and acquire documents and books which will be of interest to students of the county and its heritage.

We welcome approaches from organisations and individuals who might be interested in donating or loaning material. We would ask that you contact us by email or telephone with details of the records, in the first instance.

Of interest to us would be:

  • records of Surrey organisations such as churches, businesses, schools, charities and sporting bodies
  • documentation relating to an individual or family with a connection with the county, such as correspondence, diaries, title deeds and estate records
  • images and illustrations of Surrey scenes or people
  • published material relating to Surrey where it does not duplicate our existing holdings

Any such material can be either presented to the Centre as an outright gift (our preferred option) or deposited with us as an indefinite loan, in which case ownership remains with the depositor. Papers containing information of a sensitive nature can be closed to public access for a period to be agreed with the depositor. Please see our formal terms of deposit of records.

Documents and books which are placed in our custody receive the following treatment:

  • cataloguing by a trained archivist or librarian
  • inspection by a qualified conservator and a place in our ongoing repair programme if necessary
  • storage in a secure, environmentally controlled strongroom and additional packaging in suitable, acid-free folders and boxes if necessary
  • publication of the fully searchable catalogue online so it is accessible across the world
  • supervised production to interested researchers in our public searchroom.

Your records will be cared for at Surrey History Centre to ensure their long term preservation and be used and enjoyed now and by future generations. We would ask depositors to consider a voluntary donation to help us to continue to preserve Surrey’s heritage.

If you have documents or other material you think might be of interest to us, we would be delighted to hear from you. We can also advise if another record office or library might prove a more suitable home. Contact us on 01483 518737 or via Contact Surrey History Centre online.

Surrey History Centre is unable to care for 3D objects. Please contact your local museum or gallery to find out how to deposit objects.

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