Information for Depositors

Preserving archives is a specialist task, and we are jointly funded by the five district councils of Tyne and Wear to preserve the area's documentary heritage.

Our Collection, Acquisition and Disposal policy sets out the kinds of records we are interested in.

There are two main ways to place your records with us:

  • Donate
    • effectively gifting them outright to the Archives
  • Deposit
    • by depositing, you agree to allow us to make them available for research, be used in exhibitions or used in conjunction with work we do with schools and community groups. You would still own the records, but be free of any concerns about their preservation.

Unfortunately, due to temporary staff capacity issues, we are unable to accept new offers of material at the moment. 

However, if you would like to contact us about items you would like to donate to Tyne & Wear Archives, please contact us at archives@northeastmuseums.org.uk and provide us with details. We will keep your details on file and we will contact you as soon as we are able to consider new offers again. Our expectation is that this will be by January 2026 at the latest. 

If you are unable to retain your archive material safely until January 2026 please advise us and we will discuss options with you. 

You may also wish to offer your item to another archive in the UK. There are a number of specialist archives across the UK which specialise in a range of themes. To browse these, both the National Archives and the Archives Hub have useful lists of archive repositories: 

Find an archive - Archives Hub

Find an archive - The National Archives


Service we offer

  • We would visit or survey the material to identify if it is historically important. Not all records are worth preserving, but we are pleased to offer free advice. Please arrange to bring the records into the Archives or we are happy to arrange an appointment to visit you.
  • We can offer storage at Discovery Museum, Newcastle where we are based. Especially constructed storage will protect archives from fire and other hazards such as decay.
  • Cataloging in line with overall priorities
  • Inclusion in online catalogue
  • Secure access for the public in the search room
  • Conservation as required

For full details of the contract, please see our Terms of Agreement.