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Durham / Re: Record Office / "The Story" re-opening
« on: Saturday 15 June 24 15:14 BST (UK) »
The Story fully opens on Monday. Friday and this weekend are open days.
I popped in yesterday.
The 'collections room' is open Monday to Friday 10 - 4. Previously Wednesday was their late opening, this is now Thursday but only until 7pm. It isn't clear on the website that they actually have a late opening.
The 'search and discover' space is open Monday - Friday 9 - 5 (7pm on Thursday's), Saturday and Sunday 10 - 5.
They aren't bring any mircofilms from County Hall. They will be available digitally on computers in the 'search and discover' space.
Yesterday the only things that had been uploaded were 3 different parishes so there's a long way to go yet! A member of staff I was speaking to said more was being uploaded over the weekend but I'm not sure if that means all the previously microfilmed records would be available by Monday or if they are doing it in tranches.
It don't sound like they were bringing any of various indexes either as these are going to be available to search on the computers too, in a separate database from the previously microfilmed records.
The new website is still a work in progress. Once all the content is uploaded at some point the old website will be retired.
They had a few differently themed displays on (presumably they'll still be on today and tomorrow). One of them was about the 1909 West Stanley pit disaster, which included not only the actual burial registers of St Andrew's CoE Church and St Joseph's RC Church showing the burials of some of the miners but an actual death register showing some of their death registrations. This I was very surprised to see! The Story now houses all the historical BMD registers previously held at Bishop Auckland Register Office, access hasn't changed though you still need to apply and pay for a certificate.
I was going to book in next week to go and do some research but I think I'll leave it a few weeks until they've got all the content sorted and things ironed out. Plus I need to sort out my various scraps of paper with things I've been wanted to check/look up since they been closed and from about three years prior to that!
Jay
I popped in yesterday.
The 'collections room' is open Monday to Friday 10 - 4. Previously Wednesday was their late opening, this is now Thursday but only until 7pm. It isn't clear on the website that they actually have a late opening.
The 'search and discover' space is open Monday - Friday 9 - 5 (7pm on Thursday's), Saturday and Sunday 10 - 5.
They aren't bring any mircofilms from County Hall. They will be available digitally on computers in the 'search and discover' space.
Yesterday the only things that had been uploaded were 3 different parishes so there's a long way to go yet! A member of staff I was speaking to said more was being uploaded over the weekend but I'm not sure if that means all the previously microfilmed records would be available by Monday or if they are doing it in tranches.
It don't sound like they were bringing any of various indexes either as these are going to be available to search on the computers too, in a separate database from the previously microfilmed records.
The new website is still a work in progress. Once all the content is uploaded at some point the old website will be retired.
They had a few differently themed displays on (presumably they'll still be on today and tomorrow). One of them was about the 1909 West Stanley pit disaster, which included not only the actual burial registers of St Andrew's CoE Church and St Joseph's RC Church showing the burials of some of the miners but an actual death register showing some of their death registrations. This I was very surprised to see! The Story now houses all the historical BMD registers previously held at Bishop Auckland Register Office, access hasn't changed though you still need to apply and pay for a certificate.
I was going to book in next week to go and do some research but I think I'll leave it a few weeks until they've got all the content sorted and things ironed out. Plus I need to sort out my various scraps of paper with things I've been wanted to check/look up since they been closed and from about three years prior to that!
Jay