Donating records

What are records?

Records are any items which contain information or evidence. 

They might be written (e.g. accounts, letters, or emails) or recorded (e.g. oral histories, films). 

They might be physical items (e.g. books, photographic prints) or digital (e.g. digital photos, spreadsheets, websites).

What are archives?

Archives are records which have been selected for permanent preservation because they help document history.

What records do we take in?

We take records of public and local interest from a wide variety of sources, including:

  • schools
  • places of worship
  • businesses
  • private families or individuals
  • charities and community organisations

We are not able to take in records which:

  • do not relate to Suffolk, its places, and/or its people;
  • are duplicates of printed material;
  • are better suited to other archives, specialist repositories or museums.

For more detailed information on what we may or may not take in, please see our Collecting Policy.

Please get in touch with us at archivists@suffolk.gov.uk for an initial discussion. If you have material which we cannot take in, we will make alternative recommendations wherever possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Further information

Collecting Policy: Detailed information explaining what we can take into Suffolk Archives for permanent preservation

Terms of Donations, Bequests, Deposits and Transfers: Detailed information explaining the terms of loans and gifts to Suffolk Archives

Contact us

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us by emailing archivists@suffolk.gov.uk.

Thank you, on behalf of current and future researchers, for helping us preserve Suffolk’s history by considering Suffolk Archives as a place to care for your records.

Friends of Suffolk Archives

The Friends play a crucial role in supporting the work of Suffolk Archives by promoting the service and facilitating the purchase, cataloguing and in some cases, conservation of archival material that is relevant to Suffolk. More details about the Friends and how to join can be found on the FoSA page