Research Section - Museum & Library Research Enquiry Service

Museum & Library Research Enquiry Service

Museum and Library staff can only undertake research for the general public when it relates directly to specific items in the Museum and Library's collection.

Enquiry Procedure

1. The Museum & Library will only accept written or emailed enquiries and ask that those researchers who send emails also provide a postal address.



2. Telephone enquiries to the Museum Front Desk (01634 822839) or Curatorial Team (01634 822221 or 822261) will, where possible, be dealt with immediately by a member of staff. However, if the enquiry is detailed the researcher will be asked to write or email the Museum & Library



3. On receipt of an enquiry from a public researcher an acknowledgment is sent immediately.



4. Members of the Curatorial Team then search the Museum & Library Collection for information sources or items of relevance.



5. Details of their findings are then passed back to the public researcher with an invitation to visit the Museum & Library to view any material found.



6. The Museum & Library aim to reply to the researcher within a month of receiving their enquiry. This is, however, dependant on the volume of enquiries being received as well as the numbers of staff and resources available and may vary at different times throughout the year.



7. A form asking for three potential visit dates is also sent to the researcher and, providing that they are able to give at least two weeks notice, every attempt is made to accommodate the visitor with their most convenient day and time.



8. Visitors will, during their visit, be given one to one advice and assistance from a member of the Curatorial Team and, on completion of the Visiting Researchers Form and adherence to our Reading Room Rules, will be able to view original material. Usual entrance fees apply.



9. A list of contact details for professional researchers who can be commissioned to research at the Museum & Library is available for those public researchers unable to visit the Museum in person. Whilst seeking reputable professional researchers for the list the Museum & Library do not accept any liability for their work, privately agreed contracts or fees payable.



10. Museum curatorial staff are only able to undertake research on the history of specific objects or archives held in the Collection. Dependant on staff time and resources curators will undertake up to three hours of research for the flat fee of £41.68 (inc VAT).



11. The Museum & Library will hold all enquiries where the researcher has been invited to visit for three months. If no arrangement to visit is made within this period it will be assumed that the researcher no longer requires information or assistance.



12. If the Museum & Library hold no information relevant to the enquiry staff will provide advice on where alternative information may be held.



13. Offers or items for donation see Giving Section - Artefacts and Documents page



14. Requests for image reproductions see Research Section - Photographic Reproduction page
    

If we have items relating to your research, if you are researching your family history or any aspect of Corps history we would strongly recommend that you arrange to visit the Museum or Library in person. Experience has shown us that researchers get much more information from viewing the original material themselves.

Further information

• You need to sign a Visiting Researcher Form (pdf 61kb) before gaining access to any artefacts.



• You need to abide by the Curator's or Librarian's advice on handling the material and the provisions of the general Reading Room User Rules (pdf 62kb) .

Download free Adobe® Reader® software to read pdf (portable document format) files.

Links to:

Collection Section page

Postal, Email and Opening details

Email: mail@re-museum.co.uk
When sending e-mail we would also appreciate a postal address.

Opening Times:

• Tuesday - Friday 9.00am-5.00pm
• Saturday & Sunday 11.30am-5.00pm
• Open Bank Holiday Monday
• Closed Mondays and Christmas week.

Also see Visiting page for directions and other visitor information