Working with the British Library
We have been working with the British Library since 2010 to collate, curate and digitise the vast collection of historical newspapers and records held by the institution. Read the editorial to learn more.
The largest online collection of British and Irish historical resources
Find out more by contacting our inquires team or request a free trial directly with our online form
Ireland, Maps and Surveys 1558-1610
British Army Service Records
Britain, Trade Union Membership Registers
Or opt for one of our four great value subscriptions
| Records | Records+ | Newspapers | Access all areas | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The world’s largest online archive of British and Irish records. | check | check | check | |
| The most comprehensive collection of British and Irish census, military and crime records online. | check | check | check | |
| Access to 3.5 billion transcribed records and 375 million digitised scans of original records. | check | check | check | |
| In association with The National Archives, exclusive online access to the unique and invaluable 1921 Census of England & Wales. | check | check | ||
| Over 45 million newspaper pages and 1,850 titles from the British Library’s holdings | check | check |
Records
check
The world’s largest online archive of British and Irish records.
check
The most comprehensive collection of British and Irish census, military and crime records online.
check
Access to 3.5 billion transcribed records and 375 million digitised scans of original records.
Records+
check
The world’s largest online archive of British and Irish records.
check
The most comprehensive collection of British and Irish census, military and crime records online.
check
Access to 3.5 billion transcribed records and 375 million digitised scans of original records.
check
In association with The National Archives, exclusive online access to the unique and invaluable 1921 Census of England & Wales.
Newspapers
check
Over 30 million newspaper pages and 1,000 titles from the British Library’s holdings
Access all areas
check
The world’s largest online archive of British and Irish records.
check
The most comprehensive collection of British and Irish census, military and crime records online.
check
Access to 3.5 billion transcribed records and 375 million digitised scans of original records.
check
In association with The National Archives, exclusive online access to the unique and invaluable 1921 Census of England & Wales.
check
Over 30 million newspaper pages and 1,000 titles from the British Library’s holdings
Which faculties could benefit from access
to the Social History Archive?
It’s not just history students who can reap research rewards from the Social History Archive.
The huge variety of life course histories and material within offers rich inspiration and references for multiple disciplines.
Geography
Primary source materials from every part of Britain, Ireland and further afield facilitates comparative and spatial analysis.
Journalism
Track the development of reporting over time across local and national media throughout Britain and Ireland.
Politics & economics
Empower research and analysis with a vast archive of unique records charting multiple perspectives and facilitating deeper understanding.
Data science
Enable statistical analysis across disciplines with our exceptionally detailed structured meta-data covering billions of records and hundreds of millions of images.
Sociology
Combine newspaper articles with government reports and private archives to provide exceptional coverage of some of some of the major themes at a granular level.
Architecture
Track material culture, like architecture and fashion, through a newspaper collection dating back to 1700, and a unique visual archive of photographs.
Easy-to-use, all-encompassing primary source library
Exclusive digital history resources
Empower research and learning with online access to unique humanities and archival material. Plus, with new releases every week, fresh research opportunities continually open.
Where past meets present
Powered by decades of expertise, cutting-edge, intuitive search technology yields incredibly accurate results instantly and allows researchers to refine criteria with ease.
Get closer to history
With a user-friendly interface and powerful search functionality, students and researchers can quickly find the information they need.
Hassle-free connection
Single Sign-On (SSO) and IP authentication provides quick and secure user access. Plus, Counter and Sushi support facilitates seamless reporting.
Request a free trial
Get in touch to organise an obligation-free trial of the Social History Archive.What our customers say
"This is one of our most popular online resources…the transition from our previous supplier was seamless and trouble-free, with efficient, helpful and friendly service."
HelenCumbria Library Service