How to Search Bath Record Office's Online Catalogues and Digital Collections

Bath Record Office's main entry point for online research is its Archives and Local Studies catalogue, which the office describes as newly available. Alongside it, you can search or browse several separate digital resources: the Bath in Time image library (over 40,000 historic images of Bath and beyond, which you can also purchase), family history indexes such as the Bath Burial Index, Bath Ancestors, and the Georgian Newspaper Project, plus project-based digital collections like Sounds of the South West. Use the catalogue when you are looking for archival and local studies material; use the named resources when your question is specifically about images, burials, or Georgian newspapers.

Start with the Archives and Local Studies catalogue

This is the catalogue to use for the office's archives, local studies and special collections, which cover the story of Bath and North East Somerset from the 12th to the 21st century.

1. Open the Find records section of the site and select the online catalogue.
2. Enter what you already know — a name, a place, an organisation, or a subject — rather than a full research question.
3. Read the catalogue entry for the level of the record: a collection-level description tells you what a whole archive contains, while a piece-level entry points to a specific item.
4. Note the reference number and the record's location details before you plan a visit, since not everything described online is immediately viewable.

Expect the catalogue to tell you what exists and where it is held, not to show you the contents of every document. Most archive catalogues describe records rather than reproduce them.

Use the dedicated digital collections for specific questions

Some material is better found outside the main catalogue. Match your question to the right resource:

Plan around what is online versus what requires a visit

The site is explicit that pre-booking is essential to visit, and that everyone is welcome to access the collections in person. Online searching is therefore a preparation step, not a substitute for the reading room.

• Search the catalogue and the digital resources first to identify exact references.
• Check the Visit us pages for opening times and getting there — the office displays current opening hours, for example 10am–1pm and 2pm–5pm on the day shown.
• Review the guidance on membership cards, accessibility, and handling and copying records before you arrive, so you know what you can request and what you can copy.
• If you cannot visit, the office offers a copying and research service where staff can assist on-site or remotely.

Common sticking points

• Assuming everything is digitised. The catalogue describes collections; only some material, such as the image library and specific digitisation projects, is available as digital content.
• Searching a full question. Catalogue searches work better with names, places and reference numbers.
• Skipping the research guides. The office provides research guides to help you get started, which can save time before you search.
• Turning up without booking. Pre-booking is required, so confirm your visit in advance.

Where to go next

If your goal is family history, begin with the family history pages and the Bath Burial Index, then move to the catalogue for specific records. If your goal is images or a specific project, go straight to Bath in Time or the relevant project page. For anything else, start with the Archives and Local Studies catalogue, note your references, and book a visit or use the copying and research service.