Search Our Collections  

You can use Discover to search all of Durham University’s libraries, museums, archives and special collections.  

From 1 August, our online database for museum and archive collections will be available through a temporary version of Discover, due to the work required for the migration to our new and improved search system.  

• To search our online database for museum and archive collections, please use the Discover search box below
• For all other items, including our library collections, please visit https://discover.durham.ac.uk/   

For more information, visit our website. 

The collection guides can be searched using Discover.

The catalogues can be searched in different ways according to their format.

• Discover is the best starting point for searches of all our printed special collections. Manuscript and archive collections, museum objects and art collections are in the process of being added to this system, but at present should be consulted via our old Discover system. Individual entries within Discover include a link to the archive catalogue.
• The online archive catalogue is most useful for providing a context for your search results as they are displayed within the catalogue of the collection of which they are a part. Being able to see where the material is located within the collection can give broader information about its significance or may reveal similar items stored with it that could also be investigated. These catalogues can be searched separately.

Content and language warning

We make our collections accessible to all for the purposes of academic and community research, and provide catalogues to them online. In accordance with standard professional practice our catalogues will reflect the language of the collection and of its original creators; additionally, the catalogues may have been written many years ago when the collection was first received by the university. Voices, objects and images from the past can display attitudes, opinions and relate to events which may be viewed as biased and offensive in today’s society. Other voices are not present. We are committed to listening to all communities and welcome your engagement. If you wish to contact us about any language used in our catalogues or about any particular item in our collections please make a note of that item's reference number or shelf-mark and contact us.

If you need help interpreting our catalogues or looking for information within the collections, you can contact us through our live chat service or by emailing main.library@durham.ac.uk