Help to support the archives by becoming a volunteer or donating your records.
Volunteering
We have a variety of volunteer roles within Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies (HALS). Find opportunities to improve your skills, increase your confidence and socialise with others.
What roles are available?
Conservation
What will I be doing?
- Group work to clean documents using conservation tools and techniques
- Flatten and re-package documents.
The archive conservation project is run on Mondays and you can volunteer for a morning (10am-1pm), afternoon (2pm-4.30pm) or full day.
What skills do I need?
- Good manual skills
- Interest in local and family history would be beneficial
- Attention to detail and patience.
What support will i be given?
- Induction to Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies
- Support and guidance in your role from Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies staff and volunteers.
Digitisation
What will I be doing?
We look after, collect and preserve original archive material which allows people to search our online catalogue and supports them with their research. Your role will be to:
- Digitise material from image collections covering various aspects of life in the county (e.g., environment, businesses, institutions, societies)
- Photograph historic documents, volumes, maps, using CaptureOne software, paying attention to their fragility
- Set up camera equipment and photography room correctly
- Verify image quality, including colour saturation and focus
- Process raw data into TIFF and JPEG files and assign batch numbers to the images
- Capture necessary metadata associated with the images
- Crop images for use on different websites.
What skills do I need?
- Keen interest in photography would be beneficial
- Interest in local or family history would be beneficial
- Attention to detail and accuracy is vital for much of the work.
What support will I be given?
- Induction to Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies
- Training on using the camera and CaptureOne software
- Support and guidance in your role from Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies staff and volunteers.
Exhibitions and promotions
What will I be doing?
- Help staff run various events and activities by setting up, welcoming visitors and providing information.
- Be an ambassador for HALS Review HALS leaflets and guides
- Help to research and prepare for special projects and exhibitions.
What skills do I need?
- Genuine interest in local or family history
- Outgoing and friendly manner and good communication skills
- Interest in IT and basic computer and word-processing skills
- Attention to detail for proof-reading.
What support will I be given?
- Training, support and guidance throughout your role from archives and library staff.
Indexing historical documents
What will I be doing?
- Index 18th and 19th century documents in the archive's excel database.
What skills do I need?
- Basic computer and word processing skills
- Interest in family or local history
- Attention to detail.
What support will I be given
- Training on how to use the excel database
- Support and guidance throughout your role from archives and library staff.
Website content creator
What will I be doing?
- Create and update website content
- Research and publish articles on various Hertfordshire-related subjects.
- Assist in organizing and running promotional events like reminiscence days.
- Help with marketing the website and outreach events.
- Record, edit, and upload oral histories to the website.
- Collaborate with HALS and library staff on key themes or current exhibitions.
- Participate in special projects such as the 'Hertfordshire Voices' project.
- Provide assistance and guidance to newer volunteers with their research.
- Attend quarterly editors' meetings.
We are particularly looking for volunteers to create content for Our Dacorum. However, when you apply, you can tell us which website(s) you'd prefer to work on:
What skills do I need?
- Outgoing and friendly manner and good communication skills
- Comfortable talking and listening to people talk about their memories of life in Hertfordshire
- An interest in IT and websites or a willingness to learn
- Willingness to help at events
- An interest in Hertfordshire’s history.
What will I gain from the role?
- How to research and writing articles for the web
- Event organisation and promotion experience.
What support will I be given?
- Training in how to use the website, how to edit and add material
- Support and guidance from HALS/library staff, and valuable overview at quarterly editor meetings.
You may be interested in combining this role with the Technical Editor role.
Website technical editor
What will I be doing?
- Review articles and comments, edit them according to site guidelines, and contact authors if needed
- Report technical issues to HALS staff for resolution
- Promote the website through the Herts Memories' Twitter account and by supporting events like reminiscence days
- Help new volunteers and users navigate and use the website
- Assist in periodically reviewing editors' guidelines
- Attend quarterly editors' meetings.
We are particularly looking for volunteers to maintain Our Dacorum. However, when you apply, you can tell us which website(s) you'd prefer to work on:
What skills do I need?
- Outgoing and friendly manner and good communication skills
- An interest in IT and websites or a willingness to learn
- Willingness to help at events
- An interest in Hertfordshire’s history.
What will I gain from the role?
- How to research and writing articles for the web
- Event organisation and promotion experience.
What support will I be given?
- Training in how to use the website, how to edit and add material
- Support and guidance from HALS/library staff, and valuable overview at quarterly editor meetings.
You may be interested in combining this role with the Content Creator role.
When will I be needed?
The amount of time you're required to commit to a project varies. Lots of people volunteer at HALS, so you'll be required to work to a mutually agreed timetable in line with our opening hours.
Where will I be located?
Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies in Hertford is the main location for site based work. Web based roles can be done on site, from home or at your local library. Event and exhibition locations will vary depending on the project.
Donate now
Help us make a difference, your donation supports the work we do.
£5 could buy acid free materials to help preserve documents for the future or support our education workshops.
You can also make a donation in any of our boxes at Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies in Hertford.
Gift your records
We're always happy to receive your records from the past in line with our collections policy. We accept documents up to the present day.
If you would like to gift or loan records to the archives, email us to make an appointment.
Share memories of Hertfordshire online
The Herts Memories websites give you the chance to share memories, stories and pictures with the people of Hertfordshire and your local community.
Get in touch
For general enquires, please contact us