Volunteering with Archives and Research Collections

Since our foundation, volunteers have played a vital role in helping us to preserve the records in our care and improve access to them by listing, indexing, repackaging and researching our collections. There is no ‘one size fits all’ for our volunteers - we welcome enquiries from students, local groups, budding archivists, or anyone with an interest in our work and some time to spare. We also recognise that not everyone can visit us in person and as such we aim to offer remote as well as onsite volunteering opportunities.

Past volunteer projects have included,

Listing the Tuke Family Papers
Cleaning and listing the architectural archive of Pace & Sims
Indexing historic admission registers and patient case notes for The Retreat, Clifton and Bootham Park hospitals, and York County Hospital.
Indexing place names in the Diocesan Visitation Court Books
Listing the Rowntree Company Photographic Archive
Listing the Rowntree family correspondence
Researching parish histories for our online catalogue Borthcat
Transcribing entries from the Wesley Chapel Forces Canteen visitors’ book

Throughout the year there are also opportunities to take part in short-term volunteering projects with our Conservation team. These involve in-person tasks such as cleaning and repackaging, and are aimed more towards anyone wanting to gain experience in a Conservation setting.

How do I apply?

If you think you would like to volunteer, please contact us by phone or email to find out what opportunities are available. Due to capacity, places on projects may be limited, however we are always happy to keep your name on file and let you know about future projects that become available if you wish.

Prospective volunteers are asked to complete a short application form and will also receive a copy of our Volunteering Policy. They will then be invited to speak with the Volunteer Coordinator or a member of our Conservation team, either onsite or via Zoom to discuss their application and the projects available before starting.