Thanks to Beryl Evans of the Federation of Family History Societies (www.ffhs.org.uk) for passing on the following note from William Meredith of Wirral Archive Services (www.wirral.gov.uk/my-services/leisure-and-culture/wirral-archives-service).
Wirral Archives Service is altering its opening hours - from the beginning of March we will no longer be open on Saturdays. This change has been made to increase the number of staff available to the service during the week. The last Saturday we will be open will therefore be 25 February 2012.
Chris
When so few facilities offer Saturday openings, to hear of the loss of one is a real blow. I can’t help but think this is done for the convenience of staff who don’t want to work weekends, and councils who don’t want to pay extra on overtime. No doubt this will be backed up by so-called “user surveys” which only count raw user numbers. The fact remains that most working people cannot go to archives and libraries on a weekday - unless they use their holidays. I would far rather a facility closed on 2 weekdays and remained available on one day to the working population who also pay towards their up keep.
ReplyDeleteTo say that my own local Scottish Borders Archive Service at the Heritage Hub, Hawick remains open on Saturdays 10am-2pm, plus is open until 7pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays to serve people who are at work during the day. (4.45pn closure Monday & Friday and closed to the general public only on Wednesdays apart from pre-booked groups). A good balance I think.
ReplyDeleteThis is an archives that I would like to use, but cannot because I work during the week. On the rare occasion that I have managed to visit, ie a holiday the place is very quiet and with more staff than researchers. I too would far rather it was closed on 2 weekdays and remained opened on the two days the working population who work and who also pay towards their up keep, could visit.
ReplyDelete