19 replies to this topic

[Phyll]

Thanks for the update Ant. Hope things work out.

[Thumpa lumpa]

Dave I have sent you an e mail with some info on this

[Phyll]

Latest in The Star.

http://www.sthelenss...archives_claim/

[antonio111]

Great so see there will be stuff online, lets hope it is as good as the cemetery site!

[Dicky D]

I would normally get involved with this business but have been unable due to poor health since 2 January. However, apart from everything said in the many posts above, one thing I have learned through confidential sources is that the new facility will be 'manned' by non-specialist staff. If you think that this is far fetched let me remind you that the Central library is now being run by non-qualified staff. Apart from a couple of people in the Local history archives, the last person who worked there who was a qualified librarian was Peter Sergant who took early retirement a couple of years ago. Incidentally, Peter was also a local history/archavist expert.
I have been using the Local History archives since 1979 when it had been fairly recently set up by Roger Hart and his assistant May Sherwood. It was a great facility then and it an even greater facility now. The only reason this resource is as good as it is is because it has been set up, maintained and run by like minded qualified people for nearly forty years. If we are not on our guard this facility could follow the Dodo. At present there are, three qualified staff, thwo of them hands on running the local history room. These three are all I think over fifty and there is no one coming along to take their places. It's something we need to be concerned about.