Birmingham Archives and Heritage-new Library

[ciderdrinker]

Good Afternoon
Went to the great new building this morning.First day for archives but it's been a week for the rest.
Firstly website said open at 8am actually main library opened at 10.Archives on 4th floor,a bit smaller space than previously.
Fingers crossed .
The thing is there used to be lots to look at in your own time . Not anymore. Those open shelves -10/15 rows of double shelves -now 7/8 new electronically opening shelving,like in a book repository,you seem to be able to open one at a time.(Me and another couple of people nearly had a fight over them).National Will index still there,MI's Birmingham yes,elsewhere no.Electoral registers yes ,didn't spot any trade directories.
Central enquiry desk-I kept having to go back 10th time they where heartily sick of me.
Microfilms of parish records still there,now viewed on a computer.
Get to window opposite enquiry desk,with your back to the window-the old indexes by church on the left and on the right filing cabinet no1 has the films.(supposed to have a yellow post it on it but didn't)
Then  you go back to enquiries they book a computer,using library card and pin and load film.Lovely sharp images ,10p a copy but wouldn't rewind the film.Assistant couldn't get it to work either so avoid number 410.
I know this is all a bit long but I just wanted to warn people be prepared for a long wait.Things are quite chaotic.So give your self PLENTY of TIME.
And go prepared.
Browse the catalogue online www.libraryofbirmingham.com
Phone up on 0121 303 4242 or email archives.heritage [-- at --]birmingham.gov.uk
You need to book a film viewer and if you want anything from storage give a weeks notice and they will try and find it.At the moment there's no procedure to find anything in The Stack and they are having trouble finding stuff.They will do their best and if they can find it ,you can see it.
I went with a list of 15-20 things and saw 1 -a marriage on microfilm.It took 4 visits to the counter and 45 minutes when I already had the date and church.
Don't know if they had access to the catolgue there,didn't like to ask AGAIn
I know it's teething problems but whatever you do DONT JUSt POP IN.
Lovely people on the desk but they are going to be snowed under with all the extra work they are going to have to do.Really a bit worried how they will cope.

Ciderdrinker 

Moderator Comment: e-mail edited, to avoid spamming and other abuses.
Please replace [-- at --] with @

[rayard]

Thank you for all the information.
It seems then that there are no microfilm readers just computers. I used to love just choosing a film and looking "just in case" or following up leads by popping back-and-forth to the film cabinets. Still, at least they are available now!
rayard.

[stormswift]

Ancestry now have Birmingham Parish records online

[weste]

I think i'll wait a bit before attempting to go.

[illumina]

Ancestry now have Birmingham Parish records online

Have been using that myself, and it's going to make things a lot easier. I used to love going to Birmingham library, but since I left the country Ancestry is one of my only options.

[stormswift]

Ancestry now have Birmingham Parish records online

Have been using that myself, and it's going to make things a lot easier. I used to love going to Birmingham library, but since I left the country Ancestry is one of my only options.

Ditto, but being able to search by name has made it a whole lot less time consuming.

[Sloe Gin]

Have things improved at the library now, anyone been recently?

I'm a bit confused as to how the microfilms are viewed now - is it on a computer or a film viewer, as both are mentioned?

[ciderdrinker]

Hi there.
It's a bit of both.You are booked onto a computer which has a compact microfilm viewer attachment ,on the left hand side of the desk, which you access through an app on the computer screen.
The icons are a bit like those used on e books and there are lots of extra icons for focusing etc.
      You pick which reel of microfilm you want to look at and the assistant loads it onto the 2 reels of the viewer beside the computer and activates the app for you.The image of each page of the microfilm appears on the computer screen .The instructions for winding the microfilm  appear on the computer screen using icons.They are in a column  on the right of the image.And you wind to the bit you want.
If you want to print anything ,you click on another icon and the print job is sent to the photocopier across the floor and you are given a security number to punch in and obtain the prints.They cost 10p each.
I'm sure it'll be great when we all master the technology.Really its the same reels of microfilms on a very fancy computer viewer.
Ciderdrinker

[Sloe Gin]

Thanks!  well, it sounds like a great improvement, I shan't miss winding those handles 

Now that a lot of the PRs are available on Ancestry, I imagine that will reduce the demand somewhat.  I don't have a full Ancestry sub at the moment as I wasn't making a lot of use of it, but I've just signed up for a month and am busy finding Birmingham stuff.  Once I know where the gaps are, I shall know what to look for on my next visit which will be my first to the new Library.