Visiting the Archives

What are your admissions fees?

Click here for information on current fees. If you take out an annual membership in the Yarmouth County Historical Society, you can have free admittance for a calendar year. Please note that we are a non-profit organization, and while these small user fees help us to keep our facility running, the Archives still operate at a loss.

What forms of payment do you accept?

We accept personal cheques, International Money Orders, VISA and cash. Payment should be made out to "The Yarmouth County Historical Society."

Will there be someone to help me?

Yes. You will receive individual attention. There is an Archivist, a volunteer, and a student (during the summer) available to help you do your research. We will provide appropriate resources, interpret the materials for you, do all of your photocopying, answer any questions that you might have, and then file everything back for the next person. You will find our service to be friendly and knowledgeable!

How should I handle the materials?

When you visit, we will bring all materials to you, provide them in an orderly fashion, photocopy relevant materials, and re-file everything back for you. By following the simple steps below, you will be taking action to help preserve these records for the future.

• Do not remove any archival material from the Archives.
• Pencils for taking notes will be provided for your use. No ink is permitted.
• Please touch original documents as little as possible and hold by the edges.
• Food and drinks are not permitted within the Archives.
• When handling original documents, be sure to wash your hands as needed, to remove skin oils.
• You may need to wear gloves in order to prevent skin oils from damaging or staining fragile documents and old photographs.
• Do not place open volumes face down.
• Keep materials in their original folders, in order to prevent incorrect filing.
• Do not use sticky pads as markers on original documents.
• Do not lay paper for note-taking on top of original documents.
• Do not trace maps or other records.
• Do not lick your fingers to turn pages.

Newspapers: Please use extreme care when reading original newspapers. Turn pages with two hands. If the paper is too delicate, staff or volunteers will be glad to turn the pages and close the volumes for you. Do not lean or place hands on the newspaper. Transcribe articles by putting paper at the side of the paper, not on it. We can provide a clipboard for your convenience. Some newspapers are now too fragile to be used by the public and have been retired from public use.

Can I use a laptop or recorder?

Yes, you can transcribe information directly into personal laptop computers or audio tape recorders, space permitting, and as long as it does not interfere with others. However, no electronic scanning is permitted.