Birmingham Archives and Heritage-new Library

[ankerdine]

I have planned to go to the new library archives next week with my sister-in-law.

We need to do further research on information a 1911 census has thrown up. Her great grandparents had 15 children but only 8 were still alive at the time of the 1911 census. We have some gaps to fill.

Could you kindly tell me what I need to do beforehand please? Will there be people to help us? Do I have to reserve computers? I am not a Birmingham Library member though my sister-in-law is.

Are there guided tours of the library?

I did visit the old archives but found the staff rather intimidating. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Judy

[ciderdrinker]

Good morning
Don't worry.The Staff are quite nice and since moving to the new Library ,most don't know exactly what they are doing either,so are less intimidating.
There are 3 staff on the general enquires desk and 2 in the Reading room.
While it's not necessary to book ,I would.
I'm not sure what records you are looking for but would assume baptisms and burials for a start.Most parishes will be on microfilm ,so you will need a reader.Obviously there are a finite number and if you're traveling you don't want to get there and find they are all full.So phone then up and book.
Your sister in law will be booked in on her ticket and you will receive a guest one for the microfilm viewers.No need to join up for that.
If you have to look at original documents ,for Handsworth St Mary's for example which have not been microfilmed at that date you'll need a readers ticket and for that you'll need 2 forms of ID.One with a signature and another with an address.Ask them what they will accept while you're on the phone booking the reader.The Reading room is on the same floor,floor 4 ,but in a separate area and you will need to book a seat for that.(ps take a pencil without a rubber on the end.They are funny about that).
On open access are Electoral Registers and MI transcripts for the Birmingham parish churches.I believe the big cemeteries are on microfilm.
There are guided tours of the building ,but how much time do you have?Really it's in the front door and up the escalators straight in front of you  to the fourth floor.The rest is a lending Library  0-2 and a reference and British Film institute Library on floor 3.There are toilets,photocopiers etc on each floor.If you need a break and a coffee there is a cafe area by the front door.
Don't forget that at the end of the day you are paying the Staffs wages.Be reasonable ,be polite but THEY are there to help.
Have FUN and I hope you find what you are looking for.

Ciderdrinker

ps if you really can't face it or don't get exactly what you want, most of their collection is now on Ancestry.So bear in mind if time running short go for their big Cemetery records rather than parish registers or Electoral lists which are on-line.Stuff you can't find elsewhere.

[ankerdine]

Ciderdrinker

That's an extremely helpful reply and has put my mind at rest.

I will follow your instructions as best I can. and let you know the outcome.

Oh thank goodness, once again, for rootschat folk.

I dare say that, had I put the whole query on here initially, someone would have come up with the answer. If we don't get a positive result then I will come back and post another thread.

Thanks again,

Judy

[ankerdine]

I am reporting back after our visit to the new Birmingham Library.

We arrived at 10.30 and were lucky enough to be helped by a very knowledgeable young man. We had already booked a computer/microfilm reader though, as Ciderdrinker had said, reservation wasn't essential. We started with the Birmingham Ancestry records and then were instructed on how to find and load the respective microfilms.

The archive staff were helpful but eventually additional staff were brought in from elsewhere as it became very busy.

I couldn't find the Birmingham Churches MI's nor the books with the Wills indexes. There were some Kelly's Directories available to look through.

There didn't appear to be much available that you could just look through like church information from elsewhere, as ciderdrinker has said.

I suspect that once you become used to knowing where to look for specific items than a visit will prove more beneficial. I am still not sure what is available "behind the locked door" where you need another reader's ticket.

Thanks for your advice ciderdrinker it was very useful.

Judy

Oh, we couldn't find any of the children we were looking for but perhaps we were in the wrong parish or perhaps they weren't christened at all.

[rayard]

What a shame you didn't find the MI's and Will Books! They are concealed in those awful shelves which have to be electronically opened and slid along. Only one can be opened at a time which I think is ridiculous. They could have arranged proper shelving with access instead of preventing people from using them, after all there is plenty of space now!!
rayard.

[ankerdine]

Hello Rayard

I think I found the Kelly's Directories along one side of those electronically controlled sliding shelves but I didn't fancy getting squashed therein! There didn't appear to be any mention of Will Indexes or MIs on the end of the shelves either. Indeed a lot of the labelling left a lot to be desired: sticky labels hand-written are not what I would expect to find  in the 21st century as compared to the modern moving shelves. There is plenty of space in this new library; some shelving was completely empty on lower floors. Funnily, I kept coming up against those huge concrete pillars presumably holding up the roof garden.

Maybe they haven't yet finished moving archives and data from the old building. I just don't know.

It was intimated during one conversation that shortage of staff was critical. "The Cuts" which Birmingham Council are having to implement is, as we all know, hitting hard at services.

I would reiterate though that all staff I encountered were friendly and approachable.

Judy

[Helena11a]

Hi

I have a query re the new library.

I hope to go this weekend specifically to view the post 2006 GO index's on fiche. As this is my only reason for going, I want to be certain I can  get on a fiche reader.  I did E mail the archives but got an automated reply stating they reply within 4 weeks!  Can anyone help with the following?

Are there plenty of fiche readers?  If so are the GRO index's self service or do the staff issue a quarter at the time?
Does anyone know of the phone number of the archives so I can ring and ask?

Thank you 

[ciderdrinker]

Hello Helena
I have been to the archives but it's a while since I used the post 2006 fiches you spoke of.
I'm afraid I don't remember any fiche readers in the new library .(A sore point that with library staff ,that the old viewers were thrown out).
The microfilm readers are connected to the computers which act as a printer -there are around 24 ,of them half of which have the microfilm attachment.I'm assuming they will have some kind of converter for microfiche.The microfilm is definitely self service from filing cabinets next to the readers and the microfiche were also in there when I last looked.
There isn't a separate phone number for the archives but if you ring the main desk they put you through.

The number is 0121 242 4242.

Hope your visit goes well and sorry I can't be of more help.

Ciderdrinker

[Helena11a]

Thanks for your reply it arrived the same time I received one from Birmingham Archives!

The fiches are not self service but they produce a few at a time, they have made a note I will be visiting although I will be there for 11.00 or soon after

I spent hours in the old library and only been to the new one once - to the Wolfson centre

Thank you