Accessibility statement

Visiting Us

Please visit the University's transport pages for information on getting here and information on parking, buses, cycle routes etc. 

Please refer to our accessibility information web page if you have any accessibility requirements.

Essential Information

  • Access to the archives (including our microform readers) during our staffed hours is by appointment only. We recommend giving us as much notice as possible to ensure we can accommodate your visit.
  • Microfilms no longer need to be requested in advance of appointments, however original archives will still need to be pre-ordered. Please note that for some archival material, we require a minimum of 24 hours' notice before your appointment. 
  • Contact information must be provided at the point of booking.
  • The wearing of face coverings is now a matter of personal choice. Please be aware that if you wish to wear one you will need to provide your own face coverings. Hand sanitiser stations remain available in our reception.

Please do not book or attend an appointment if you have any symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19), or if you are awaiting a test result.

Opening times

Please find below our staffed opening hours for which a pre-booked appointment is required.

  • Monday 9.30am to 4.30pm (Searchroom and Microform Room)
  • Tuesday 9.30am to 4.30pm (Searchroom and Microform Room)
  • Wednesday 9.30am to 4.30pm (Searchroom and Microform Room) 

The Microform room is also open during the following hours. Please note however that bookings cannot be made for these times. Instead the microfilm readers in this room are available on a first come, first served basis. Please see under ‘Access to the Microform Room Outside our Staffed Opening Hours’ section for more details. 

  • Monday: 4.30pm to midnight
  • Tuesday: 4.30pm to midnight
  • Wednesday: 4.30pm to midnight
  • Thursday:  8am to midnight
  • Friday: 8am to midnight
  • Saturday: 8am to midnight
  • Sunday: 8am to midnight 

Booking an appointment

Please contact us to book an appointment, either via email or phone:

Ordering documents

  • We ask that you continue to pre-order the original documents you'd like to consult when you make your booking.
  • A limited number of additional original documents can be ordered during your visit, at set retrieval times (10.45am and 2.45pm). Please note that maps, plans and photographic material cannot be requested on the day.
  • Due to increased scientific research into COVID-19 transmission, and changes in government guidance, it is no longer necessary for us to quarantine documents and microfilms between users.
  • Microfilms are now available through self-service retrieval. 
  • Use our online catalogue to search our holdings. If you can’t find what you need or have any questions, please get in touch and we will be happy to help.

What to do when you arrive

We're based in the University of York Library, on the Heslington West campus.

Please tell staff at the Library entrance that you have an appointment at the Borthwick. Staff will also be available to direct you to the Borthwick reception and searchroom.

  • Please sanitise your hands using the stations provided.
  • At the Borthwick reception, please give your name so that we can confirm your attendance.
  • You are welcome to take a pencil, loose notepaper, a laptop, phone and/or camera into the searchroom with you. Please note that a photography permit, costing £10 per day or £25 per week, will be required in order to take photographs. 
  • Please take the time to familiarise yourself with our Searchroom Regulations 2023 (PDF , 75kb).
  • Please place all other personal belongings in allocated lockers. 

In the searchroom

  • You will be allocated a table or microfilm reader as booked and asked to read our Visitor Guidance.
  • All the documents that you ordered will be available at your table for you to work through.
  • At the end of your visit, please leave all documents on your table.
  • Hand sanitiser stations will be available for you to use during your visit.
  • Please help us accommodate as many visitors as possible by vacating your table promptly at the end of your appointment.

Access to the Microform Room Outside our Staffed Opening Hours

Microform records can be consulted outside of our staffed hours (see under ‘Opening Times’ for more details). The microform room can be accessed via the first floor landing in the Raymond Burton Library.

Bookings cannot be taken for access to the microform room during these hours. The digital microform readers, from which digital copies of the records can be taken by bringing along a USB/Memory Stick, are therefore available only on a first come, first served basis. We do however have several traditional, hand-operated microfilm readers in the event that all the digital readers are in use.

Please be aware that no staff support will be available during these hours. In the microform room, there are printed instructions available on how to use the digital microform readers, as well as finding aids for our principal microform collections. You can also find digitised copies of these finding aids on our website.

What remote services are on offer?

We are able to respond to enquiries via email, telephone, post and social media. For more extensive enquiries, our searching service is available, and our copying service is also available if you would like copies of our records. For more information on our holdings, please see our online catalogue, Borthcat. 

How can I get access to your resources remotely?

Many of our Parish Registers, Bishops’ Transcripts and Marriage Bonds and Allegations are available via Find My Past, our Parish Registers are available through Ancestry and our Cause Papers, Archbishops' Registers, and Retreat hospital archive are available, for free, 24/7 online.

Booking and facilities

Can I visit without an appointment?

Unfortunately no, but we periodically review our opening policies, and any changes will be communicated via the news pages of our website and social media feeds.

You can however access our microform records without a booking outside of our staffed hours. For further information please see the section ‘Access to the Microform Room Outside our Staffed Opening Hours’.

I’m not sure which documents I will need. Can I make my requests on the day of my appointment?

We ask that researchers consulting original documents continue to pre-order their documents in advance of their visit. Retrieval in advance allows us to assess and prepare your documents and guarantee their availability. It also ensures that you can make the most of your time with us. We may however be able to retrieve additional records for you during your appointment depending on the access conditions of the records and staff availability.

Our staff are available to help you select documents before your visit. Please contact us via email or phone.

Microfilm records are available to browse and select on a self-service basis

How far in advance do I need to book my appointment?

You will need to continue to book your appointment with us in advance of visiting, and we recommend giving us as much notice as possible. This allows us to assess availability in our reading room and to prepare your documents. For some archival material, we require a minimum of 24 hours' notice before your appointment.

How do I search your catalogue in order to identify which documents I’d like to see?

Information on how to search our online catalogue and learn more about our holdings is available. If you need any help or have any questions, please do get in touch via email or phone.

Where can I store my things?

Free to use lockers are available in our reception room for bags, coats, and other personal items.

What facilities will be available?

Toilets will be available. The library cafe serves sandwiches and hot and cold snacks and has a range of indoor and outdoor seating. No food or drink can be consumed in the Borthwick itself. 

Will I be able to get copies of documents?

We advise you to bring a camera and purchase a photographic licence if you would like to take copies. We can take orders for digitised copies (where the document is suitable for this) but will not be able to provide copies during your visit. Any copies ordered will be sent on either to your email address, or by post with the addition of a postage fee.

Can I browse your finding aids and reference library? 

You are welcome to browse and access the paper finding aids and publications in our searchroom reception. We’re also working to make more of our finding aids available through our online catalogue.

Can I get help from staff with my research?

Yes! We aim to be as helpful as possible. Please don’t hesitate to ask if you require any guidance during your visit.

I usually borrow a pencil when I forget to bring one. Will I still be able to do this?

Researchers are advised to bring everything they need for their research with them, but we may be able to provide pencils and loose sheets of paper as circumstances allow. 

What types of payment can you accept?

We can take contactless or card payments. Unfortunately, we cannot accept cash.

What resources can I access online to help me prepare for my visit or reduce the need to visit?

You’ll find a number of research guides on our website that are designed to help visitors discover and interpret the archives in our care.

A number of our archives also have dedicated search tools or are available to browse online.