The BTO Archives hold a unique range of material relating to the work and history of BTO and UK ornithology, as well as personal papers and photographic material from key figures in ornithology and bird photography.
BTO’s Archives include:
- Survey material and data from studies carried out by BTO,
- Personal papers and notebooks of prominent figures in the history of British and Irish ornithology,
- Photographic material (with an emphasis on early bird photography),
- BTO governance and administrative records.
Note: If you wish to access and use data from BTO surveys and schemes, please see our Data pages.
Explore our collections
Cataloguing project
In 2022 we launched an exciting project to make it easier to find information about our amazing collections. Our new catalogue is available online, and you can now search archive and library collections at the same time to discover the myriad of connections between published works in the Chris Mead Library and unpublished material in the BTO Archives.
Adding archive material to the catalogue is an ongoing process, and we’re making good progress but still have a long way to go. In the meantime, if you can’t find what you’re looking for please do contact us at archives@bto.org.
Highlights from our Collections
From the work of trailblazing women to some of ornithology’s thorniest detective cases, we hold a range of fascinating collections, as these highlights reveal.
Emma Turner
Explore early bird photography and nature writing through the enchanting words and images of this pioneering woman.
Uncover ornithological fraud
Read the correspondence behind the uncovering of a remarkable ornithological fraud, through the Hastings Rarities Collection.
Research guides
Parallel to our work cataloguing the BTO Archives, we are developing research guides to help you uncover the history of a person, place, event or theme. Each guide tells you where you can find and access the relevant records, as well as providing a detailed overview to assist you with your research.
- Research Guide Emma Louisa Turner (PDF, 679 KB)
Visiting the BTO Archives
The BTO Archives are situated in the chapel of the old nunnery at our headquarters in Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU and are normally open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday.
Everyone with an interest in ornithology is welcome, but as space is limited, please email archives@bto.org or phone us on +44 (0)1842 750050 to arrange your visit.
Wheelchair access and facilities are available, and there is also lift access to the Library. There is a free car park for visitors.
Reading rare and fragile items
We are committed to sharing the wealth of ornithological information in our Archives, but occasionally there may be some restrictions placed on reading certain types of material e.g. if there are preservation concerns for fragile items. We will always advise visitors if this applies to any of the material they wish to consult, and we will provide surrogate copies if possible.
Making copies of our material
All material in the BTO Archives is reference-only. However, we can provide copies in accordance with copyright law. Some of our rare books are fragile items and it may not be possible to scan or copy these. Visitors are permitted to take digital photographs. Flash photography is not permitted.
Copyright
Visitors who require copies in any format must complete a Copyright Declaration Form stating that copies will be used for non-commercial research or private study only. Copies requested by email or telephone will normally be sent to remote researchers as a PDF file attached to an email, but may be sent as photocopied pages where this is not possible.
About the BTO Archives
The purpose of the BTO Archives is to collect, preserve, and make available its collection of unique ornithological material. This includes the physical and electronic output of BTO studies, personal papers and correspondence relating to key figures in ornithology, photographic materials and information about the Trust’s own history.
BTO is committed to providing access to its archive collections to anyone conducting ornithological research. Our community includes BTO staff from all departments, BTO members, students, visiting researchers, and members of the global ornithological community.
Read more about our collections, and our commitment to sharing these, in our policies:
- Archives Collection Policy (PDF, 778 KB)
- Archives Access Policy (PDF, 756 KB)
- Archives Takedown Policy (PDF, 639 KB)
Donate to the BTO Archives
We welcome any enquiries about donating collections at archives@bto.org. We consider donations of material relating to the history of ornithology (including personal papers of prominent figures), bird photography (particularly early photography) or the history of BTO.
We sometimes accept donations of notebooks of prominent ornithologists, but we’re not usually able to accept notebooks or diaries containing bird records for the Archives. If you have notebooks containing historical bird records, please upload your data to BirdTrack.
If we are unable to accept donations to the Archives for any reason, we will try to help donors find the most suitable home for their material and may direct donors towards a different repository if more appropriate.
- Please read our guidance if you’re considering donating a collection or book of special ornithological value to us.
- Please get in touch with us by email at archives@bto.org or by telephone on +44 (0)1842 750050 before sending or bringing donations to BTO.