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“Remembrance of things past is not necessarily the remembrance of things as they were.”
Building our University Archives collections
The University Archives is a repository for unique archival research collections.
In addition to collecting the institutional records of the University of Hull, the University Archives also preserves donated and deposited records, which have been records created or collected by external organisations and individuals.
This practice began with the birth of the University in the late 1920s for the purposes of supporting research and teaching activities at the institution.
If you have such material in your care and wish to deposit it with the University Archives, a nationally accredited archive repository, please get in touch at archives@hull.ac.uk.
What type of material do we collect?
The University Archives holds records relating to civil rights movements, left wing politics, the history of theatre and drama, literature and poetry, maritime heritage, and local landed families and estates.
Examples of our current holdings can be browsed via our guide to collections at Hull History Centre. You can also search our holdings via the History Centre's online catalogue.
For further information regarding the type of records we can take, please access the Hull History Centre's Acquisition Policy.
Deposit and donations process
If you or someone you know holds records that fall within our acquisitions policy, and wish to make a deposit or donation, please take the following steps:
1. Gather the records together and write a short summary of what you have, making a note of the types of records present, the dates covered, and the extent of material. An example of such a summary might be 'Project files, correspondence, publications and photographs created by the campaign group [X]. Covers the period 1930-1970. Extent is roughly 40 files, 20 packets of photographs, and 10 bundles of publications.'
2. Get in touch at archives@hull.ac.uk and one of our archivists will arrange to have a chat with you to determine whether a) the material is of interest and b) you wish to deposit or donate the records.
3. Pack the material into boxes ready for transport, including a rough list of what is in each box if practical.
4. Get back in touch when you are ready to arrange transport of the boxes.
5. Upon receipt of the material our archivists will send you a receipt and will finalise the deposit or donation agreement with you.
Useful documents
Our terms and conditions
Please see below for examples of our deposit and donation agreements, with full terms and conditions applicable to deposits and donations to the University Archives:
Guidance for potential depositors or individuals wishing to donate records
Our archives team has produced the following series of guidance documents to support creators and collectors of records who might be thinking about depositing or donating records to the University Archives:
Material outside the remit of our collecting policy
You may have material of historical significance which falls outside the remit of the University Archives' collecting policy.
If this is the case we would be more than happy to speak to you and offer our guidance.
Simply drop us an email at archives@hull.ac.uk.
