The following Press release is dated 24 September 2009. I just ran across it, and although a week old, I felt it should be posted at GenealogyBlog.
Following an extensive consultation over the summer, The National Archives announced today a number of changes to its operations and public services.
Having considered the feedback received during the consultation, the changes will now see: Moving to a five-day week (Tuesday to Saturday), from 4 January 2010, with an extension of opening hours and document ordering times for the remainder of the week Charging for use of the public car park, with an annual season ticket available for frequent users (based on vehicle emissions, in keeping with government guidelines) Changes to copying and microform services, with the aim of simplifying the process for users.
Chief Executive Natalie Ceeney said: “I would like to thank all those who have taken the time to respond to our consultation, following the announcement we made in June. The feedback we received has informed our final decision, helping us work together to ensure that The National Archives continues to be one of the best in the world despite a challenging financial climate.
“An archive is as much about the present and the future as it is about the past, and these changes will ensure that this organisation is stronger and prepared for the coming years.”The changes are in response to the pressures of increased demand on The National Archives’ services, and a fixed budget. As part of the changes, The National Archives is conducting a voluntary redundancy exercise, but has managed to do this without losing any specialist posts in the structure, ensuring that the levels of historical records expertise available now to support the public will be maintained. These changes will also enable The National Archives to maintain investment in future services, which include research and cataloguing work to make records more accessible, as well as vital work to ensure that today’s digital records survive to become tomorrow’s history.
In a challenging environment, The National Archives is intent on maintaining high levels of public service, increasing online access to its collection and capturing current government information for future researchers, guaranteeing the continuity of the official government record.
Changes will be implemented over the coming months. To find out more, please go to: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
