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Pioneering one-stop archive shop is nation’s first.
(15 May 2007)
The North East has become the first region in the country to bring together the information held by all of its archives in one place.
In a pioneering move, Museums, Libraries and Archives (MLA) North East has launched www.archivesnortheast.com which allows anyone who
logs on to work with an experienced member of archive staff from the comfort of their own home.
Liz Rees, Chief Archivist at Tyne and Wear Archives, said: "The website will make research so much easier and efficient.
"Previously, anyone unfamiliar with the region who was trying to use the web to locate archived information has been reliant upon using a
search engine, which does not always provide the most accurate results. Archives North East will help those carrying out research to
identify and contact the relevant archive for the task.
"Another huge benefit is that it enables people to contact more than one archive at the same time – increasing the likelihood of a
successful search."
The website allows anyone who is conducting research, from investigating their family tree to uncovering the history of
coalmining or shipbuilding in the region, to search the information held by archive sites in the North East.
It does this by linking directly with the websites of local authority record offices in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear,
Durham and Teesside, as well as the archives of museums, libraries, universities and independent organisations.
This allows anyone who is uncertain of where to find information to easily identify where it is held.
Answers to a range of frequently asked questions about research are available on-line, including how to structure an enquiry and where to
find birth, marriage and death certificates, post mortem reports or church records.
After making an initial enquiry, experienced members of archive staff will be on hand to carry out detailed paid-for research.
Archives North East has already attracted a number of satisfied customers, including one ex-pat now living on the continent.
Robert Andrews, who was originally from York and retired to France two years ago, used the website to trace his roots back to Jarrow.
Speaking from his home near Limoge in the Poitou-Charentes region, he enthused: "The website was an extremely useful starting point in my
quest to track my ancestors to a farm in Jarrow where they lived between 1790 and 1840."
After logging on, Mr Andrews was able to use the site to e-mail a number of archives in the region to see who could help.
"I was impressed with the rapid response," he said.
He then used maps of the area to locate his ancestral home.
"Because I live in France, the site has proved invaluable, while saving me a fortune in travel, by supplying expert advice at the
click of a mouse."
He intends to visit the site of his one-time family farm, which made way for housing in the 1960s, later this year.
June Parker, Virtual Digitisation Centre Project Officer at MLA North East, played a key role in setting up the site.
She explained: "Archives are the authentic and original voice of the past and they contribute to learning and skills, well-being,
citizenship and identity. MLA North East is working to ensure that everyone understands their importance and can access and benefit from
them.”
Since 2000 the MLA Partnership has invested more than £2m in and helped secure more than £37m of lottery grants for archives across
the UK. It has also created the first national training programme for future archive leaders and designated more than 30 archive collections for
their quality and significance.
View the press release online at
http://www.mlanortheast.org.uk/nemlac/page.php3?471.
Archives North East is available at http://www.archivesnortheast.com.
For further information contact Matthew Forster, Head of Communications at MLA North East, on 0191 2697983.
Notes to editors:
1. Archives are the records generated by a family, an individual, a
business or an institution in the course of its daily activities,
which have been consciously selected for preservation, either because
of their importance to the organisation, or for their broader
historical value.
2. MLA North East is the strategic development agency for museums,
libraries and archives in the region. It is part of the wider MLA
Partnership with the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA)
and eight other regional agencies. Together it works to improve
people’s lives by building knowledge, supporting learning, inspiring
creativity and celebrating diversity. The Partnership acts
collectively for the benefit of the sector and the public, leading
the transformation of museums, libraries and archives for the future.
It receives core funding from the Museums, Libraries and Archives
Council.
Many thanks,
Richard Archer
MLA North East
House of Recovery
Bath Lane
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE4 5SQ
Tel: 0191 222 1661
Minicom available
Fax: 0191 261 4725
Mobile: 07708 379 741
e-Mail: [log in to unmask]
Web site: http://www.mlanortheast.org.uk
If you are visiting MLA North East offices for a meeting, training, or just a chat, please inform us beforehand if you have any access needs or requirements.
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