The Art Gallery & Museum has a permanent collection of over 11,000 objects in the fields of art, crafts, sculpture, local and social history, archaeology and ethnography. Most have been donated by local people, beginning in the 1860s and continuing to the present day.
Archive and Library
Archive and Library
What is it?
Archives and Libraries are generally physical locations in which there are expansive collections of certain objects, most commonly books and historical records. There can be more specific types of archives and libraries with more specialist content, but the most largest and most popular types encompass a wide selection of topics.
What does it involve?
Visiting an archive or a library generally comes from a desire to further research a specific subject, but it can also be to use the resources available, such as computers, scanners or a newspaper microfiche machine.
Why do it and what are the benefits?
Libraries are incredibly important places for learning, as they can provide a safe space for studying and the freedom for the students to educate themselves in pretty much whatever topic they have interest in. A lot of libraries and archives also put on activities and groups to encourage independent reading and learning.
What equipment do we need?
You shouldn’t need to provide any equipment for a visit to a library or an archive! The venue should have everything you need, but if you have a specific study activity in mind you should always check beforehand to see what they are set up for.
Who is it suitable for?
Archives and libraries are generally reasonably quiet places, so noisier groups of young children may not be as welcome – however, it will depend on the venue, as some will have dedicated children’s corners!
Costs?
Libraries are generally free to access! Some more specialist archives may have an entry fee, but if you research beforehand you shouldn’t come across any surprise costs.
Issues/Things to think about? (unsuitable for age groups, medical conditions etc)
Make sure to tailor any trips to an archive or a library to the needs and interests of the group of students!
How do we include?
Most venues will have great disabled access! Everybody should be able to join in with a visit, but always check beforehand if you have concerns about your group of students.
Doing it abroad?
There are libraries and archives all around the world, and visiting one whilst abroad can be fantastic for getting some more detailed information on local history and culture!
Main website:
Consult individual venue websites to see their specifics.
Venues with this Activity
Warwickshire’s history, Warwickshire’s memory
Warwickshire County Record Office collects, preserves and provides access to documents recording the history of the county, its people and places.
Warwickshire Museum is the name for the body which operates both the Market Hall Museum and St John's Museum in Warwick. It is part of Heritage and Culture Warwickshire.
We look after the archives of the city of Bristol (and surrounding areas) and make them available to everybody, free of charge.
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In the Roald Dahl children's gallery you can boggle your eyes and baffle your brain and let your imagination run wild!
A branch of the main Natural History Museum in London.
Discover the fascinating animals collected by Lionel Walter Rothschild, in our beautiful Victorian Museum. It is home to the world-class research and collections of the Natural History Museum's Bird Group.
Education
Waterside House, Oxford Island houses a local history reference library which has a collection of books, journals, maps and photographs relating to the local area. The library also holds a collection of books from the Ulster Quarterly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends and a collection relating to Methodist history in Ireland.
This Garden is a national reference collection of 7,000 different types of plant, making it the most compact yet diverse collection of plants in the World: there is even more biological diversity here than there is in tropical rain forests!
The spectacular Riverside Museum is home to some of the world’s finest cars, bicycles, ship models, trams and locomotives. Interactive displays and the hugely popular historic Glasgow street scene bring the objects and stories to life.
Lothian Health Services Archive holds the historically important local records of NHS hospitals and other health-related material.
We collect, preserve and catalogue these records and promote them to increase understanding of the history of health and for the benefit of all.
The Museum of Computing is devoted to the history of computing and digital development.
It was the first physical museum of its kind in the UK dedicated to the history of computing.
Three venues in one, Ripon's museums allow you to uncover history.
Down County Museum is located in the restored eighteenth century County Gaol of Down. The museum collects, conserves and interprets those objects which best illustrate the history, culture and environment of County Down.
Sentry Hill is a 19th century farmhouse in the Parish of Carnmoney, County Antrim. The house and its contents provide a rare insight into life in rural Ulster during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Tells the story of Buckingham and north Bucks rural life, including the Flora Thompson collection (Lark Rise to Candleford author) and Buckinghamshire Military Trust exhibits. A number of the original cells form part of the museum visitor's experience.
A fearsome fortress
Muster your courage and explore Framlingham Castle's towering walls behind which Mary Tudor took refuge.
Discover Framlingham Castle's vast and colourful past as it became home to some of the most powerful people in Tudor England, an Elizabethan prison for the troubled, and a sanctuary for the poor in the 17th century.
The Coleraine Collection stems from the town's remarkable history. Coleraine is a town of several firsts - the first known settlement in Ireland at Mountsandel and the first 'planted' town in Ulster.
City Hall is home to the Mayor of London, the London Assembly and the 600 or so permanent staff who work for the Greater London Authority.
The Bakehouse Centre was specially converted from a former bakehouse and two cottages to house today's Museum.
Museum Staff are pleased to welcome visitors and offer a guided tour if requested. A printed guide to the collection is also available.
There are new exhibitions on the maritime history and a photographic history of the village.
Jacobean-style house with gardens and a working watermill
A passion for tradition and impressing guests inspired one man to transform a run-down country house and desolate landscape.
Falkirk Archives is located in the oak-panelled Victorian library of Callendar House, and is the place to come to find out about the history of Falkirk district or to start your family history research. Local archives and photographs are held here, and may be viewed by the public.
We are home to an extraordinary range of documents, images, maps, films and books about London. On this site you can find out about the archives we hold, and get practical advice on how to use them.
Glamorgan Archives collects, preserves and makes accessible documents relating to the geographical area it serves, as detailed in its collection policy, and maintains the corporate memory of its constituent authorities
We can help you to....
- trace the history of your family, your town, village or house
- carry out research for a school, college or evening course
The Media Archive for Central England (MACE) is the screen archive for the Midlands.
Connect with the culture and history of the Midlands through film, videotape and digital moving images. View over 4,000 clips from a library of 45,000 titles.
The purpose of the Cromwell Museum is to interpret Oliver Cromwell's life and legacy through portraits, documents and objects associated with Cromwell. Impressively impartial!
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