The results of the survey are used to promote archives services and their collections through Discovery and in other ways.
Follow us on Twitter to hear news about the survey and join us in promoting new collections by using #NewInArchives.
The survey
Our curated overview shows collecting by archives service and across broad areas of research. These include subjects like politics and military history, and areas that we have a special interest in, such as manorial records.
Having refreshed these categories for the 2017 survey, we can also see collecting activity across themes, such as black and ethnic minority and LGBTQ history. We can also track records generated by third sector charitable and philanthropic activity. For information about these themes, please contact the team.
- See the highlights from the 2022 survey.
- See the highlights from the 2021 survey (and previous surveys) by archives service and theme.
The report
Our vision Archives Unlocked calls on us to ‘demonstrate the impact of archives by developing and expanding audiences, piloting approaches to using data and evidence’.
Since Accessions to Repositories 2016, we have analysed the complete and unedited accessions data. We have presented this analysis in a published a report offering insight into collecting trends. This gives us the materials as sector lead to initiate a new dialogue about UK collecting based on evidence we have been gathering for over 60 years.
The report celebrates the investment that archives make in quality collection development and accessioning practice.
We are keen to gather feedback and know what analysis and insight would you like to see from this reporting in future years. Please email your thoughts to the team.
2022
Read the Accessions to Repositories 2022 report (online)
2021
Read the Accessions to Repositories 2021 report (online)
2020
Read the Accessions to Repositories 2020 report (online)
2019
Read the Accessions to Repositories 2019 report (online)
2018
Read the Accessions to Repositories leaflet 2018 (PDF, 0.58MB)
View the Accessions to Repositories poster 2018 (PDF, 0.66MB)
2017
Read Accessions to Repositories 2017 (PDF, 4.0 MB)
2016
Read Accessions to Repositories 2016 (PDF, 1.76 MB)
The data
The complete raw data (including all single and traditionally non-archival items and accruals) gathered from participating archives has been published on data.gov.uk, to encourage research and analysis into collecting and collections.