Cumbria Archives
Preserving and providing the historical records of Cumbria

Searchroom Rules

Cumbria Archives has operated since 1962, collecting and preserving the documentary heritage for the area of the modern county of Cumbria from the 12th century to the present day. It is the only organisation in Cumbria with statutory authority for archives. This document sets out the rules which our users are required to follow both to ensure their safety and the security of the unique and irreplaceable records in our custody.

Cumbria Archives is an Accredited Archive Service. These searchroom rules help ensure we deliver a high quality service to our users. These rules also help us meet the expectations of The National Archives for central government records deposited with us as a ‘Place of Deposit’, for the Diocese of Carlisle in regard to us as the appointed diocesan record office and for private depositors and donors who have loaned or donated records to us.

  1. All members of the public are welcome to use our four Archive Centres. Users must abide by the Cumbria County Council Library Byelaws of 13 September 1996, or those adopted by the successor authorities, Cumberland Council and Westmorland & Furness Council.
     
  2. Users must obtain or already have a valid ARA (Archives and Records Association) Archives Card. Users can pre-register for an Archives Card and have their application authorised in our offices on production of the required personal identification. Further details are available on our archives cards webpage and on the ARA Archives Card website.
     
  3. Users must have their Archives Card scanned when using our Archive Centres. This denotes the user’s agreement to abide by these searchroom rules.
     
  4. Users without an Archives Card may use the Archive Centres but must be registered as a Day User. They may not be allowed access to original archives from the strongrooms but may be allowed to access printed, microfilm and digital sources available in the searchrooms.
     
  5. Users must follow the security guidance given on our website and in our offices by staff.  These include:

•         locking bags, cases and valuables in the lockers provided

•         locking any pens and folders/files in the lockers provided and using only pencil and loose paper or A4 or smaller notepads in the searchroom

•         not bringing coats and outdoor jackets into the searchroom

•         not bringing food, drinks, sweets, chewing gum etc into the searchroom

•         not smoking anywhere in the office building or in any area immediately outside on our premises

  1. Users should treat members of staff and other visitors with courtesy and show consideration to others by speaking quietly, keeping conversation to a minimum and not taking telephone calls in the searchroom. Laptops, tablets and mobile phones should be switched to silent mode.
     
  2. Users may use the refreshment area, where provided, in each office for the consumption of food, drinks and conversation/personal telephone purposes; users may use other areas (lobby/entrance area) where available for the purposes of conversation or taking personal telephone calls.
     
  3. Users may request records and consult research resources at our Archive Centres during our normal opening hours, advertised on our website. Some offices offer a restricted service (no productions from the strongroom) and this is stated on our website. Occasionally at short notice offices may have to use a restricted service (no productions from the strongroom) or close entirely for lunch. We will advertise these restrictions or closures on our website.
     
  4. Users should make their last records production request no later than 30 minutes before any lunch closure and before evening closure time, after which the Archive Centre reserves the right to refuse further productions.
     
  5. Users should complete and sign a production slip for the records they wish to consult and hand it to staff.
     
  6. We reserve the right to limit the number of productions submitted at any one time by users; this will normally be no more than three.
     
  7. We reserve the right to limit the number of produced items handed to users to consult at any one time; this will normally be no more than two units of production (volumes, files) at any one time.
     
  8. Users must follow the conservation guidelines on our website and in our offices for handling documents. These include:

•         not placing items on top of records (such as notebooks, pencils, glasses, cameras etc)

•         using pencil only; the use of pens, markers, scissors, correcting fluid or post-it notes is not permitted

•         keeping pencils away from documents to avoid accidental marking

•         keeping hands off documents apart from necessary handling to turn pages and handling all documents with care

•         not bending, folding, creasing or marking documents in any other way

•         asking staff before making tracings of documents

•         not bending, folding or creasing documents

•         not using document scanning devices

•         using the book supports provided where appropriate

•         reporting damaged documents to staff

•         keeping documents (such as loose papers in a file) in the original order given

•         using gloves to handle photographic materials when required

  1. Users may ask staff for documents to be photocopied or scanned. These processes will usually be done only by staff. Alternative methods of copying or reproduction (such as digitisation by our staff or photography by the user) may be possible and staff will advise. The following document types will usually not be photocopied: original parish registers; rolled documents; parchment documents; photographs; large, heavy volumes; torn or fragile documents; documents with spines which would be weakened by copying. We shall provide users with only one copy of a document for legal reasons under the relevant copyright legislation [Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, the Copyright and Related Rights Regulations 2003, and the Copyright and Rights in Performances (Research, Education, Libraries and Archives) Regulations 2014].
     
  2. Cumbria Archives reserves the right not to produce fragile or damaged documents which would be further damaged by handling; we shall try to make a surrogate available instead.
     
  3. Users must complete a copyright declaration form for any photocopying or scanning undertaken by staff and pay the appropriate fee.
     
  4. Users may photograph documents with their camera, mobile phone, tablet or similar devices (except scanners), but must complete a copyright declaration form.
     
  5. Users must advise staff if they intend to publish or reproduce images or copies of records in our custody.
     
  6. Some collections are not held onsite and/or require advance ordering before they can be produced for users. Information about collections not held onsite or requiring pre-ordering is held on our website and on our online catalogue. It is the responsibility of users to check this information and pre-order records from such collections before their visit. We shall not be held responsible for visits where users did not pre-order such records if we have already provided the advance order information to users.
     
  7. Users wishing to consult records for legal reasons should contact us before their visit or inform a member of staff before ordering documents; some privately-owned records in our custody cannot be made available for reasons other than private research without the permission of the owner or owners of such records.
     
  8. Users leaving our searchroom must return all archive documents to staff; users must not take archive documents, reference sources or other searchroom materials out of the searchroom; such actions done deliberately will be subject to criminal proceedings by Cumberland Council.
     
  9. A separate school child user’s ticket scheme is available on request for children of 18 or under who are unable to provide proof of personal identification; children of primary school age or younger should be accompanied by an adult.
     
  10. Researchers accessing records in our custody are responsible under the Data Protection Act 2018 for any processing of data accessed by them relating to living identifiable individuals including copying, re-use, transmission abroad and publication (whether online or in print).
     
  11. Researchers who wish to study documents for historical or statistical purposes containing sensitive categories of personal information (for instance relating to health, sexuality, race, religious beliefs) of identifiable individuals still living may be able to access such records provided they sign our Privileged Access Agreement. The researcher, by signing the agreement, agrees not to disclose names and any identifying information of the individuals mentioned in such records, and reference to such individuals must be. Evidence of research purposes is required before access can be permitted (such as a letter from the research funding authority or from an academic supervisor) along with evidence of the identity of the researcher.

Users failing to observe these rules or acting in a disruptive or unreasonable manner will be subject to the Library Banning Policy of Cumberland Council. Such users may be asked to leave our offices by a member of Archives staff and will be subject to a temporary or permanent period of exclusion by the Archives Professional Lead or other appropriate lead officer of Cumbria Archives. The termination of such exclusion will be subject to the judgement of the aforesaid Officer of Cumberland Council that the excluded user will comply with the Searchroom Rules and behave in a reasonable manner. Examples of behaviour contravening these rules would include: rudeness or harassment of members of staff or other members of the public, use of violent, abusive or obscene language, intoxication or use of alcohol or illegal drugs on our premises. A full list of activities liable to action by Cumberland Council is given in the Library Byelaws. The Library Banning Policy gives full details of the related sanctions and procedures and will be supplied to users whose behaviour results in ban.

Data collected by Cumbria Archives is protected under the terms of the Data Protection Act 2018 and will not be used for any unspecified purpose. Further information about the use of personal data by Cumberland Council and contacting the Council’s Data Protection Office is available on the Cumberland Council Privacy Notice.

V9.0. 30 March 2023, © Cumbria Archives

The above information is also available as a downloadable PDF at