If you find something you are interested in you can choose to consult or engage with these items within our collection in a number of different ways – by visiting us in person, remotely/virtually or by requesting digitisation.

Do I need to submit a request?

Depending upon the items you are interested in and the type of request you wish to place, you may be interested to know that some collections and items may already be openly available in a digital format and accessible via CollectionsCaptured.

Look out for the “see images from this collection button” throughout the Collections Guide and potentially save yourself time by discovering these already digitised images.

If you do need to complete a request, more information is available below.

How do I request items from the Collections Guide?

When browsing our Collections Guide, wherever you see the “Request this Item” button, use this to add items into “My Items”.

What is My Items and how does it work?

Available at the top of every page within the Collections Guide, My Items works similar to a shopping basket where you can add in all of the items you are interested in before then submitting a single request.

Items will remain here for the duration of your browsing session on the same device. Browsing session durations can differ depending upon your device, browser and settings.

You can also remove items you’re no longer interested in from within the My Items page.

When you’ve added all of the items you’re interested in, click the “request all items” button – more help is available on this below.

What types of requests are available?

You can request to consult or engage with items in our Collections Guide in a number of ways to suit your needs. Find out more about each type of request using the links below:

1. Visit us in person – consult items from our archives in our Reading Room
2. Virtual reading room service – see items via Zoom, at a mutually convenient time
3. Digitisation service – request digital images of items for remote viewing

When completing your request from within My Items you will be asked to choose one of these request types. If you wish to submit different types of requests, e.g. some items in person and some virtually, these must be submitted as separate requests.

How do I complete my request?

Once you’ve added all of the items you’re interested in into your My Items, click the “request all items” button to begin your request.

Whilst completing your request you will be asked for some of the below information:

• Request type – choose the type of request you’re interested in, using the “learn more” links to find out more about each one.
• Your details – please provide all of the required details marked with a red asterisk *. Details required vary depending upon the request type you have selected in order for us to fulfil your request.
• Visit details (for in person requests only) – choose your preferred visit date and time(s) from the options available. Please be aware that this is a preferred date and time and may not necessarily be available. Further confirmation will follow after submitting your request if available.
• Meeting details (for virtual requests only) – choose your preferred visit date and time(s) from the options available. Please be aware that this is a preferred date and time and may not necessarily be available. Further confirmation will follow after submitting your request if available.
• Additional item information – you may be asked to enter more information against each collection/item you are requesting to clarify the scope or extent, e.g. page numbers.
• Copyright declaration (for virtual and digitisation requests) – please complete the required information in order to submit your request.
• Complete request – click the “complete request” button once you are happy with all the details you have provided. You can always edit your choices using the “edit” buttons further up the page.

How long will it take for my request to be fulfilled or made available?

Unfortunately, we’re unable to provide a single nor typical timeframe. This is dependent upon many factors such as request type and the availability, condition, and location of your requested items.

However, for each request received a member of the Special Collections & Archives team will be in contact to confirm what happens next.

What happens next after submitting my request?

You will receive an automated email notification containing a confirmation that we have received your request along with the information provided for your records.

For each different type of request, you will receive a follow up email from a member of the Special Collections & Archives team to confirm, for example:

• The date and time to consult your requested items in the Reading Room.
• The date and time scheduled on Zoom to view your requested items.
• That your digitisation request has been confirmed and an approximate date of delivery.

Copyright, acknowledgement and re-use

Find out about copyright exceptions and advice, acknowledgements and data protection on the Special Collections & Archives website.

Further help and information

If you wish to find out more about our Collections Guide, the collections themselves and the other services we offer, including consulting the originals, visit Special Collections & Archives or email libraryhelp@ncl.ac.uk.