Many thanks to all those who replied to my request for information on
whether offices have been busier or quieter than usual at this stage in the
year.
I have received 8 responses. Of those, six are reporting a decrease in
visitor figures, two are more or less at standstill, and no one reported an
increase. In Warwickshire, levels are more or less where they were before
we closed for our major refurbishment. We had hoped for increases in the
light of significant improvements to facilities and additional services.
A number of theories were put forward to account for this. Many offices
are reporting increases in web use, and many think that the availability of
so much more information on-line is a significant factor. One office had
specifically noted a reduction in the number of family historians using
microfilm, again probably a consequence of improved availability on-line.
Some offices noted that enquiries and / or numbers of documents produced
had increased. One office commented (and this has certainly been our
experience in Warwickshire) that numbers of people asking to use their own
digital cameras to make copies, and / or requests for photocopies were on
the increase.
Maybe this is the beginning of a new trend as we acknowledge the
consequences of our efforts to digitise and make information available to
wider audiences in new ways.
Caroline
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