Making a deposit

Although the History Centre provides a single point of access, behind the scenes we remain three services. At present each has its own collecting or acquisition policies although a single cohesive document will be produced in the future. The main points of each are below. (Note that these are not the full Acquisitions Policies)

If you have a document that you think should be preserved, and would benefit users of the Hull History Centre, feel free to contact us. An Archivist or Local Studies Librarian would discuss the item(s) with you, and if we felt that it would fit in with the collections we would issue a temporary receipt before the deposit was formally accessioned. We may recommend that you approach an alternative repository, such as the East Riding of Yorkshire Archive Service.

Hull History Centre will collect records such as manuscripts, printed works, typescripts, maps, plans, drawings, photographs, digital media, and sound/video archives. Works of art, 3D objects or artefacts would be more appropriately offered to Hull Museums service.

Hull City Archives
Hull City Archives is part of Kingston upon Hull City Council and is one of the primary means through which the Council meets its statutory obligation to make “proper arrangements” for its records. Hull City Archives will accept records deposited on loan, but prefers to acquire records by gift. The City Archives also collects records relating to the city. Such records can include:

  • Archives of statutory bodies operating within Hull
  • Public records as offered to Hull City Archives under the terms of the Public Records Acts...
  • Records of organisations, businesses, individuals, institutions and other activities operating in Hull...
  • Records relating to Methodist Churches outside the City boundaries where such churches are situated within the Hull circuits of the Methodist Church...
  • ...as well as records relating to the administration of Hull.

Hull City Archives will not acquire:

  • Records of Church of England parishes and other organisations within the City of Kingston upon Hull. Such records are acquired by the East Riding of Yorkshire Archives Service at Beverley which has been designated as the appropriate archive for the Archdeaconry of the East Riding.

Hull City Archives will preserve the archives in its custody  and unless specific closure periods are required by legislation, custom and practice or depositor request, all of our records are made available to the public.

Hull University Archives
In seeking and acquiring new material, Hull University Archives will give priority to the following types of records:-

  • Records of the University of Hull and Hull University College.
  • Records of individuals employed by, or associated with, the University of Hull.
  • Records in subject areas where the University has existing strengths, including Labour and political history, Archives of pressure groups, political movements etc, Modern English literature and drama (particularly records with a local or regional connection) and
  • Records relating to organisations concerned with maritime activities.
  • For some areas where we already have significant holdings (such as Landed families and estates, Local businesses and Local organisations),we will acquire further material from existing depositors or donors or from closely related families or organisations, but not otherwise.

Our policy of strengthening our holdings in areas we already specialise in is based on sound archival and practical reasons. The inclusion of records relating to maritime subjects in our acquisition priorities is intended in particular to recognise and support the Maritime Historical Studies Centre and the commitment of the university to research in maritime history. 

Local Studies Library

Coming soon!