In the National Archives of Scotland (NAS)
search rooms, you can consult records without charge for purposes
of historical research, provided that you hold a current reader's
ticket and abide by search room regulations.
Most of these are enforced to protect the historical records from
accidental or wilful damage.
Summary
Before entering our search rooms, you must leave all bags, outdoor
garments and umbrellas in the lockers at our buildings. Please bring
a £1 coin with you to operate the locker. Please note that we
cannot store luggage or large bags in our buildings - alternative
arrangements should be made. Transparent bags are provided for any
items you wish to take into the search rooms. Cases used to carry
laptop computers to the search rooms must be left in the locker rooms.
Mobile phones or pagers must be switched off.
The following are strictly forbidden in our search rooms or any
other public area:
- Pens
- Eating
- Drinking
- Smoking
- Scissors
- Knives
You may only use a pencil or a portable computer for taking notes.
Before operating portable computers you must sign an undertaking
indemnifying the National Archives of Scotland (NAS) against any
claim for loss or accidental damage.
Seats in both search rooms are allocated to you on a first-come,
first-served basis. If for any reason, you leave your seat unattended
for more than an hour and do not inform staff, our staff reserve
the right to re-allocate it to another reader and may also return
the records that you are consulting to store.
Records are only issued to readers holding a current reader's
ticket. You must hand this in before any documents are issued.
Your ticket will be given back to you when all records have been
returned and accounted for. Normally no more than 12 items per
reader per day will be brought in from our out-store or 3 items
issued to a reader at a time, except with the consent of the officer
in charge of the search room or by prior arrangement. If you feel
these arrangements may cause you difficulties please discuss your
request with search room staff in
advance or in person.
Where digital or microfilm surrogates have been created you will
not be able to consult the original. Occasionally, documents may
not be accessible either because of their physical condition or
because they are part of an exhibition. If you are in any doubt
please contact
us.
Records must not be removed from the search rooms. You are responsible
for all records issued to you until these are returned to the
custody of a member of staff and checked. Any incidence of wilful
damage or theft of the records will be treated as a police matter.
Copies of records can be provided, subject to the preservation
needs of the material and any copying restrictions placed on it
by depositors. The NAS reserves the right to refuse to provide
copies and specify the reprographic process to be used.
Full version of search room regulations (Acrobat PDF, 47KB, opens in new window).
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