Assistance provided by mail

• Mail, fax, and email inquiries will be answered in order of receipt and a reply returned, usually by the same means, within 10 business days. Phone inquiries that require a search to be done will be queued with other written inquiries. The reply may be an acknowledgement of receipt only, depending on the current number of inquiries.
• An archivist will undertake a preliminary search (approximately 30 minutes) using the database before your visit to identify relevant records, and either post or email the results of this search.
• The Archives does not generally undertake detailed research on behalf of clients (e.g. looking for particular information or documents, or verifying facts) beyond that identified in the preliminary search.

For researchers located overseas or interstate, this search may be extended to up to an hour, depending on the current level of demand. As a general rule, priority will be given to inquiries originating from borrowing member states.

Assistance provided in person

• An archivist will be in attendance while you visit the search room and will explain how to use the public database and other finding aids. You will be provided with photocopies of paper finding aids or printouts from the database free of charge.
• An archivist will submit requests for items, retrieve the materials, and deliver the items to the researcher in the search room.
• If requested records are restricted from public access, the archivist will provide a reason for the restriction and the date the decision was made.
• The Archives maintains a collection of reference works for use in the search room, including histories of the World Bank, World Bank publications, and works that are based on research at the World Bank Group Archives.

Copying service

• Most of the material in the archives is copyright, and in many cases the Bank is not the copyright owner. Consequently the Bank must be satisfied that all copies created satisfy the copyright convention of 'fair use' for research purposes. Copies will be made provided the researchers consents in writing that no document or substantial portion of a document will be published or reproduced without the permission of the copyright owners. Such written assurance may be provided by completing and signing the Archives' researcher registration form.
• The World Bank Group Archives reserves the right to impose charges to recover the costs of providing photocopies of records, at a charge of 25c a page. Payment may be made by a check in US dollars only

Write to us at:

World Bank Group Archives
MSN MC C3-302
The World Bank
1818 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20433 USA

Telephone: (202) 473-2841
Fax: (202) 522-2761
E-mail: archives@worldbank.org