Many of the collections housed in the Archives have been gifted or loaned by institutions or individuals. We welcome further deposits of historical significance. Once deposited these records are added to our work schedules to be cleaned, stored, listed and made available for study. Staff are also happy to provide advice on the preservation and storage of documents on request.
Records are received by outright gift, purchase, by deposit on loan, or by internal transfer from Aberdeen City or Aberdeenshire Councils, A receipt is issued in every case.
Gifts
Where deposit is by gift, title will pass to Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives on such terms and conditions as may be agreed.
Loans
Where deposit is made by loan, the ownership of the records concerned is unaffected. Terms of deposit must be agreed in advance.
Appraisal
Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives reserves the right to return to the depositor any records deemed to be of no historical interest, or which fall outside the terms of its collection policy, or, with the consent of the depositor, to either transfer them to a more suitable repository or to destroy them.
Storage and preservation
Records will be stored in secure accommodation in conditions not less favourable than those considered acceptable for the Council's own records. Conservation work will be undertaken if deemed necessary by archive staff on records gifted to the Council only. Records in a fragile condition may be withheld from production. Records may be numbered with a reference code for their own safety and for identification purposes.
Cataloguing
Records will be listed in due course and a copy of the list provided free of charge to the depositor. Further copies will be made available in the public searchroom and will be supplied to other bodies as considered appropriate.
Access
Records will be made available to researchers free of charge in the public searchroom. Conditions of access by researchers may be established in advance of any gift or loan, with due consideration given to the statutory provisions contained in the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act.
Reproduction and copyright
Consistent with the safety of the records, copies will normally be supplied to members of the public for research purposes. Copyright is restricted in terms of the Copyright Acts. Further reproduction will not be permitted without the depositor's consent unless previously agreed in writing.
Archival Transfer and Acquisitions Policy
The Council has a statutory obligation under the Public Records (Scotland) Act 2011 to ensure that all of its information and records are managed appropriately. This includes making proper arrangements for the archiving of the authority's public records.
Aberdeen has the oldest and most complete archive of any Scottish city or town. Indeed, its oldest records are recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) as being of outstanding cultural importance to the nation. Given the ease with which modern records can now be created and the different media on which they are stored, an archival transfer and acquisitions policy will help ensure the continuity of this archive for the future and will enable the Council to:
- Provide evidence for its actions.
- Support openness and transparency.
- Promote community engagement through learning and research.
The Archive will not seek to represent any particular historical, political, religious or other viewpoint in its acquisition of records, but to reflect as objectively as possible all aspects of the City's past and present.