We welcome any query on Who When Where. If you have previously posted it on another forum (including the old WDYTYA forum), please state this in your opening post - this will save people redoing the research which has been done before: they can look at it and possibly go further with it.
WDYTYA Magazine August 2020
WDYTYA Magazine August 2020
The article by Rosemary Collins ("Archives start to reopen, but face funding shortfall") on page 9 are a welcome reminder about the issues of archives both locally and nationally. Researchers need to keep an eye on this as archives may be tempted because of budget cuts to offer shorter opening hours and fewer productions of documents. This set of cuts started when TNA had 25% cuts in 2009 and I could see where this would lead. Digitisation of records is no panacea for loss of finance but leads to staff cuts and I fear is that Coronavirus may be used as an excuse for a reduced service, the archivists and staff do a very good service under very trying circumstances. I do have doubts over the need to isolate the records for 72 hours due to the virus. As far as keeping records (emails, etc) about the Coronavirus goes they SHOULD be kept but will they be?, if only to see in the case of a future virus or situation.