The Museum Association was established in Škofja Loka in 1937 and immediately began collecting museum and archival material. The Association opened its first museum collection in 1939 and within it archival items were also exhibited. After a pause during World War II, the Museum continued with its professional activities in 1948 and in 1950 a historian was employed to work as an archivist. In 1966 a law was enacted to entrust the preservation of the Municipality of Škofja Loka’s archives to the Municipal Archives of Ljubljana (since 1973 the Historical Archives Ljubljana). Because of the importance of the archives in Škofja Loka, an independent archivist was employed there. In 1973 the Historical Archives Ljubljana organised a special unit in Škofja Loka. Two years later the archive was moved from the castle to new premises in the building of the former monastery. Today two archivists collect and preserve the archives of the region of Škofja Loka together with those of some new municipalities (Gorenja vas-Poljane, Škofja Loka, Železniki and Žiri). The unit holds 350 archive units, ie some 570 linear metres of records, the oldest dating from 1522, and some older documents from the Munich archives on microfilm. A reference library, a microfilm laboratory and copying machines are at the disposal of the public.