General User Guide
Collections
If you know which collection you would like to view, you can select it directly from the ‘View Collections’ drop-down menu.
Alternatively, you can select ‘Browse Collections’ and read a little about each digitised collection.
User guides
If you would like more information on any collections before searching for documents, you can select the relevant user guide from the ‘User Guides’ section.
General User Guide
Collections
If you know which collection you would like to view, you can select it directly from the ‘View Collections’ drop-down menu.
Alternatively, you can select ‘Browse Collections’ and read a little about each digitised collection.
User guides
If you would like more information on any collections before searching for documents, you can select the relevant user guide from the ‘User Guides’ section.
How to Search
Once you have selected a collection you can enter a search term in the search box, press enter and all relevant results will be displayed. You can sort by date or title and select how many documents are listed per page or change the view style.
If you wish to search for a term that consists of more than one word, put it in "double quotation marks". For example, if you wanted to search for Durham St. Oswald, enter this as "Durham St. Oswald". Without quotation marks your results will show all titles which contain both 'Durham', ‘St.’ or ‘Oswald' so won’t all be relevant.
The Advanced Search allows you to narrow down your search even more, by searching for words that appear only in a specific metadata field.
You can also use the filters at the side of each document list to refine your search further. Each collection has varied filters such as church name or document type, you could use these to only select baptism registers for example. You can also enter a specific year or date range. Once you have selected your filters, click ‘Apply’ to see your results.
How to Search
Once you have selected a collection you can enter a search term in the search box, press enter and all relevant results will be displayed. You can sort by date or title and select how many documents are listed per page or change the view style.
If you wish to search for a term that consists of more than one word, put it in "double quotation marks". For example, if you wanted to search for Durham St. Oswald, enter this as "Durham St. Oswald". Without quotation marks your results will show all titles which contain both 'Durham', ‘St.’ or ‘Oswald' so won’t all be relevant.
The Advanced Search allows you to narrow down your search even more, by searching for words that appear only in a specific metadata field.
You can also use the filters at the side of each document list to refine your search further. Each collection has varied filters such as church name or document type, you could use these to only select baptism registers for example. You can also enter a specific year or date range. Once you have selected your filters, click ‘Apply’ to see your results.
Document Display Navigation
- Select the 'Browse Images' icon to show thumbnails of all images for this document.
- Use the back and forward arrows above the document display to scroll through pages of the documents. You can type in a page number to skip directly to that page – this is helpful if the date you are looking for is towards the middle or end of the register.
- Select the magnifying glass icons to zoom in or out, the circular arrows to refresh the screen, the four arrows to select full screen or the curved arrows rotate the image.
- Arrows to the bottom right of the document display toggle the information panel on or off.
- Create a free account to save images or documents to quickly refer to later by selecting the 'Bookmark document' or 'Bookmark image' buttons. Please remember to click ‘Exit session’ at the bottom right of the screen before you leave if you have logged in to any of your accounts on this PC.
- Opens the International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) Viewer in a new tab.
International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) Viewer
International Image Interoperability Framework - a way to standardize the delivery of images and audio/visual files from servers to different environments on the Web where they can then be viewed and interacted with in many ways.
This is the best way to browse the documents on this site. Use the arrows to scroll through the pages or jump ahead by using the thumbnails at the bottom of the screen. Thumbnails can be turned off for printing by clicking this icon on the top right:
Document Display Navigation
- Select the 'Browse Images' icon to show thumbnails of all images for this document.
- Use the back and forward arrows above the document display to scroll through pages of the documents. You can type in a page number to skip directly to that page – this is helpful if the date you are looking for is towards the middle or end of the register.
- Select the magnifying glass icons to zoom in or out, the circular arrows to refresh the screen, the four arrows to select full screen or the curved arrows rotate the image.
- Arrows to the bottom right of the document display toggle the information panel on or off.
- Create a free account to save images or documents to quickly refer to later by selecting the 'Bookmark document' or 'Bookmark image' buttons. Please remember to click ‘Exit session’ at the bottom right of the screen before you leave if you have logged in to any of your accounts on this PC.
- Opens the International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) Viewer in a new tab.
International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) Viewer
International Image Interoperability Framework - a way to standardize the delivery of images and audio/visual files from servers to different environments on the Web where they can then be viewed and interacted with in many ways.
This is the best way to browse the documents on this site. Use the arrows to scroll through the pages or jump ahead by using the thumbnails at the bottom of the screen. Thumbnails can be turned off for printing by clicking this icon on the top right:
How to Print
'Download’ only downloads the metadata, rather than the image, due to copyright. However, you can print images from our digital collections for £1 per print.
- Open image in IIIF viewer or full screen view
- Press ‘Print screen’ on the keyboard then drag the cursor over the selection you would like to print.
- Click ‘Capture’. ‘Snapshot taken’ box then appears at the bottom right of the screen.
- Click ‘Edit’. You can then change exposure, contrast and/or saturation if needed by selecting the ‘Lighting’ icon.
- Then click the three dots the three dots on the top right and click ‘Print’.
- Make a note of the details which pop up on screen as you need to input these into the printer on the main desk to release the printout. Please contact a member of staff to pay.
How to Print
'Download’ only downloads the metadata, rather than the image, due to copyright. However, you can print images from our digital collections for £1 per print.
- Open image in IIIF viewer or full screen view
- Press ‘Print screen’ on the keyboard then drag the cursor over the selection you would like to print.
- Click ‘Capture’. ‘Snapshot taken’ box then appears at the bottom right of the screen.
- Click ‘Edit’. You can then change exposure, contrast and/or saturation if needed by selecting the ‘Lighting’ icon.
- Then click the three dots the three dots on the top right and click ‘Print’.
- Make a note of the details which pop up on screen as you need to input these into the printer on the main desk to release the printout. Please contact a member of staff to pay.
Searching Our Other Collections
The digitised collections in Search & Discover are just a very small part of our entire archive collection.
We have over 6 miles of documents in our strong rooms at the Story, many yet to be digitised. Please visit the website at Our Collections - The Story to search our online catalogue or book into the Collections Room to view physical documents.
Our staff are happy to help if you have any questions regarding any of our collections.
Searching Our Other Collections
The digitised collections in Search & Discover are just a very small part of our entire archive collection.
We have over 6 miles of documents in our strong rooms at the Story, many yet to be digitised. Please visit the website at Our Collections - The Story to search our online catalogue or book into the Collections Room to view physical documents.
Our staff are happy to help if you have any questions regarding any of our collections.