Loughborough University Archive

Institutional records and donated collections used to be accumulated into an archive deposit at the Schofield Library, till an archive was formalised in 1980 under university archivist Jenny Clark. The University Archives as it was known operated under the University's Pilkington Library, and managed archives, Special Collections and the University artworks collections. In the summer of 2020, the archivist retired and the archives were closed due to the pandemic. A new archivist has been in post since September 2022 and the service has now reopened under the name Loughborough University Archive (LUA).

LUA is the main archival institution for the University of Loughborough and operates from its Loughborough campus in Leicestershire. Holdings cover local history related to the university site as well as cultural and historical events and experiences in connection with the university's (and predecessors') operations as an educational institution, as well as relationships and interactions with the local communities and the town of Loughborough.

LUA sits under the Pilkington Library's Content provision and Access division and is located on level 1 of the Library at he Loughborough site. The archivist (0.5 FTE) delivers services to the University institutional stakeholders as well as researchers, students, academic and support staff.

LUA delivers an archives and local history service for University stakeholders (staff, students, alumni) as well as external researchers. It is the place of deposit for university institutional records as well as collecting materials of relevance to the university's history and legacy, from external donors.

LUA holds records of the University of Loughborough and predecessors: Loughborough College, Loughborough College of Technology, Loughborough College of Education, Loughborough College of Art & Design, as well as parallel or parent bodies, such as Loughborough College School. Institutional records also include student unions materials. Other holdings include collections from private individuals and families, as well as societies, schools and other organisations.

Access to the Archives is by appointment only so please do contact us before you plan to visit so we can arrange a suitable time and ensure we have the material you need available in our consulting room.
Most University archival material is open for consultation, however, there are certain circumstances under which we may restrict access to individual items or collections. Reasons access may be restricted include: business sensitivity, personal data protection, preservation, accession agreements and copyright.
These regulations are designed to protect the materials and information held in the Archive.
When visiting the Archives, you will need to provide photo ID and read the Code of Conduct prior to your visit. By booking a appointment to consult archival materials with the Archivist, you agree to follow the Code as well as any instructions given by the Archivist or staff on duty whilst in the consultation room.

The Pilkington Library is accessible by anyone who uses a wheelchair or has other problems with mobility. A lift is available in the Library building so that all four Levels can be accessed by everyone, including Level1, where the LUA consultation room is located.

There are two allocated car parking spaces in the Library car park for users who are registered as disabled and have the relevant disabled sticker displayed in their vehicle.

There are accessible toilet facilities on on Levels 2, 3 and 4. The Library also has various measures in place, such as adjustable table heights, coloured overlays, deaf alerter, etc. Please contact the Archivist if you require specific adjustments when using the archives consultation room.

The consultation room at LUA contains a small reference library; seating and table space for up to 4 researchers.
The Archivist can conduct some research on behalf of requesters (for instance, relating to genealogy enquiries), within reason as to duration and extent of the research, scanning and interpreting of results. Requesters will be informed if their request falls under that remit.

LUA provides a limited photocopying and scanning service for archives. Researchers are welcome to take pictures with their personal device, scan or photocopy with Library equipment, as along as this practice does not infringe Copyright Law. Researchers should ask for staff to assist them with fragile or in poor condition materials. Researchers are reminded that any reproduction is for individuals engaged in private study or research for non-commercial purposes. Guidance should be sought from the Archivist or Copyright Office when planning publication.