Dear All,
I also have concerns about the precedent that this will set.
I would be interested to know whether those customers (a worrying term) who said that they most need and want online access to resources were asked in the context of reducing free access to the physical records.
In the spirit of trying to be constructive, would it not be possible to offer free access for a full day? A number of comments on social media have been made by PhD students who say that they could not have afforded the fees. Their research will (I'm guessing) often have required the use of records which are not typical candidates for digitisation and would have been consulted for longer than a few hours. Such researchers will not necessarily live in the local area and will either be forced to pay for access, pay for accommodation or pay for additional travel - either that or they can rush around for a few hours and increase the risk of damage to MSS through bad handling.
(Written with sympathy for the staff that have to introduce this policy)
Richard
-----Original Message-----
From: Archivists, conservators and records managers. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tamsin Bookey
Sent: 27 July 2017 10:36
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Northamptonshire Archives Services
Dear all,
Besides valid concerns about precedent and so on, I am particularly concerned about the impact on the frontline workforce. If all 'free' visits are constrained into shorter and few time slots, it could get very busy in the search room on those mornings. This spells an increase in stress for staff, and potentially a reduction in quality of customer service for those users who cannot afford to pay.
Furthermore, the very fact of this new system being announced may well lead to an increase in demand - the service I now manage, Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives, was in the news in 2008 as it was considered under threat, and statistically it was the busiest year we have ever experienced due to the rumours and publicity that was circulating.
This change is likely to have a negative impact not only on the council's own staff but also on people on low incomes or anyone who is without financial support from a workplace to fund their study. This could include many deprived and consequently vulnerable county residents who would benefit in many ways from personal engagement with their local or family history.
I hope the Councillors who presumably approved these fees and charges formally are aware of these risks. The new system being proposed replicates the class stratification we are seeing nationwide in this era of austerity and this is not something I personally or professionally can support.
Tamsin
-----Original Message-----
From: Archivists, conservators and records managers. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Daniel Williams
Sent: 27 July 2017 09:57
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Northamptonshire Archives Services
STATEMENT ON NORTHAMPTONSHIRE ARCHIVES AND HERITAGE SERVICE OPENING HOURS
Northamptonshire County Council is responsible for making sure that limited and reducing local government resources are used as effectively as possible. In the current financial climate, it has no option but to look at how best to remodel service delivery with reduced budgets.
The Archives Service changes to opening hours that will be implemented from 21 August show a commitment to maintaining free public access to archives. The service will continue to be free for on-site visitors from 9am to 1pm Tuesday to Thursday and one Saturday morning each month.
Customers have said that they most need and want online access to resources; numbers visiting the service in person have fallen dramatically in the past two years. This has been taken into account in this revision to opening hours and the intention is that outside the core opening hours, the service’s limited staff resources will be redirected to the work of digitisation and developing on-line access to archives.
In order to mitigate the impact on research of the changes, the service has in fact extended the times during which people can choose to visit. These additional hours are chargeable but are offered in order to support researchers and not otherwise.
This is a bold step in difficult times and we seek your support as we work to ensure that researchers can enjoy and learn from our rich collections now and into the future.
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