Saturday 11 December 2010

Backward step for public service at Suffolk record offices

Suffolk record offices are bringing in a new policy on 1 Jan 2011 that anyone wanting original documents on Saturdays has to preorder them. There is also a limit of 12 documents.

Apart from the lack of notice or consultation with users, how does this provide good service? Especially for those who can't visit during a week day or live outside the county. Suffolk has the least amount of records out of all the East Anglian archives listed online so many references can only be found at the record office. This includes most of the church probate records for the Suffolk archdeaconries prior to 1858, the majority of which have are still listed on card indexes and have not been filmed.

Most researchers won't know if they need an original document until they are in a record office. I can see many unhappy users. Defintiely a minus for public service in every way.

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