Forwarded message from Cumbria archives. Dean List-admin ENG-WES Mailing List ---- Original Message ----- From: Alison Day To: ARCHIVES-NRA@JISCMAIL.AC.UK Sent: Thursday, October 29, 2009 5:06 PM Subject: Reduction in service at Cumbria Record Office, Carlisle Dear list, please could you make users aware of the following reduction of service hours **Posted on behalf of Anne Rowe, Archive Service Manager** MOVE TO THE NEW CUMBRIA ARCHIVES CENTRE (CARLISLE) Beginning in April 2010, the Carlisle Record Office will move to new purpose- built premises at Petteril Bank in south Carlisle. The new Cumbria Archives Centre (Carlisle) will provide first class facilities for researchers from late 2010, much better than we can currently offer in The Castle. Updates about the move are regularly available on our website - http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/archives/newrecoff/CROClatest_news.asp Building work is well advanced. We now need to start preparing in earnest for the removal of millions of unique historic documents from four separate buildings in Carlisle into their new home at Petteril Bank. There is a huge amount of work involved in this. To help achieve this, we will be reducing our opening hours in Carlisle by closing on Fridays with effect from 20th November 2009. This will allow staff and volunteers to focus on the essential work behind the scenes. We understand that this will inconvenience some people, and we apologise for that. However, we have analysed our visitor and enquiry figures, and selected Friday as the day that will affect fewest people, according to our current patterns of use. Please remember that: • We will still be open in The Castle, Carlisle on Mondays to Thursdays, 9am-5pm and will be pleased to help with your enquiries then • We have a Research Service, and our experts will carry out your research for a reasonable fee (01228 227285) • The archive offices in Barrow, Kendal and Whitehaven will be open as usual • Website enquiry facilities are available – www.cumbria.gov.uk/archives • As alternatives to Carlisle Record Office on Fridays, • Some Cumberland parish registers are available on microfilm at the Local Studies Library in The Lanes in Carlisle (01228 227315) • Microfilms of all Cumberland parish registers, and some wills are available in the Cumbria Record Office and Local Studies Library in Whitehaven (01946 506420); • Microfilms of all Cumberland bishops transcripts and some wills are available at the Cumbria Record Office in Kendal (01539 713540) If the closure in Carlisle on Fridays causes you a problem - especially if you have an urgent need to consult records for official reasons (eg magistrates court records) - please discuss this with either David Bowcock or Anne Rowe (01228 227285). We will do our best to find a way of helping you. However, we hope for your understanding for the mammoth task we have in hand. Please remember that moving house is said to be one of the most stressful things you do in life. Moving the Carlisle archive collections is the equivalent of moving 85 houses simultaneously! Please be patient with us. To compensate, we will provide you with much better services and facilities once we are operating from our new premises. Over the last two years, fifty regular volunteers have helped us to prepare for the move by repackaging the archives and making boxes. So far, they have repackaged over 21,000 documents and provided the value of £72,000 of part funding towards the Heritage Lottery grant to build the new archives centre. If you have a few hours to spare and would like to help us by volunteering for a sociable, fun and stimulating learning experience, please contact Tom Robson on 01228 227285. We look forward to welcoming you to our new premises at Petteril Bank in Carlisle in late 2010. Anne Rowe Anne Rowe Archive Service Manager anne.rowe@cumbriacc.gov.uk