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See also T. G. Otte, "Salted Away" in TLS, 7 August 09, p. 17, on the TNA proposals. Very disturbing. Clifford Davidson ----- Original Message ----- From: Abigail Ann Young <[log in to unmask]> Date: Thursday, August 27, 2009 8:29 am Subject: [Fwd: [LOCAL-HISTORY] Changes at The National Archives (TNA)] > I think this will be of concern to everyone that relies on TNA for > their > research. If you are going to be in London week after next, please > try > to attend this meeting and if you know someone not on this list who > will > be in London, please pass along this message. > > Abigail > > -------- Original Message -------- > Subject: [LOCAL-HISTORY] Changes at The National Archives (TNA) > Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:19:15 +0100 > From: Ruth Paley <[log in to unmask]> > Reply-To: From: Local-History list <[log in to unmask]> > To: [log in to unmask] > > > > With apologies for cross posting. > > > > The IHR and RHS are jointly running a discussion session on the > proposed > changes at the UK's National Archives (TNA) on Tuesday 8 Sept, at > 11 > a.m. Managers from TNA will be present. I would urge you to go and, > given that it is short notice, to assist the IHR and RHS by > publicising > the meeting as widely as possible - fuller information and how to > book a > place is being circulated by the IHR and RHS and is also available > via a > link on this page http://www.history.ac.uk/ > </exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=https://82.110.245.76/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.history.ac.uk/> > > > > TNA proposes to make a 10% saving (£4.2m) in its operating budget. > Despite protestations to the contrary most of this is targeted on > users > of historical records - £900K (21% of the total savings) is to come > from > the public service. The current CEO has made it abundantly clear > that > she is interested in 'information management' rather than the > organisation's statutory duty towards the historic records. Despite > TNA's claim to have funding problems it has taken on significant > new > responsibilities: merging with the Office of Public Sector > Information > in 2006 and taking over the Statute Law Database in 2008. > > > > The proposals include: > > · Closing to the public on Mondays (a 16% cut in opening > hours) > · 35 staff redundancies across the organization of which 12 > (34%) > are known to be in the specialist Advice and Record Knowledge > section; > TNA will not disclose where the others are > > · Withdrawal of microform series from open access in the > reading > rooms > > > > I have serious concerns about the rationale behind these cutbacks, > about > what appears to be deliberate misrepresentation by TNA to justify > its > actions and about TNA's commitment to consultation. According to > the CEO > these are proposals not plans, no decisions have been made and so > the > new structure and details about posts to be lost cannot be > publicised. > Nevertheless appointments are being made to the new structure and, > as I > am sure members of the list will realize, it is almost impossible > for > meaningful consultation to take place without access to this sort > of detail. > > > > It is likely that these cuts will have a major impact on the > research > community. More detailed information about the cuts and the > campaign > against them is available at www.Action4Archives.com > </exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=https://82.110.245.76/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.Action4Archives.com> > > > > > Time is of the essence -TNA proposes to announce its decisions on > 24 > September. > > > > Regards > > Ruth Paley > > > -- > Abigail Ann Young (Dr), Associate Editor/ Records of Early English > Drama/Victoria College/ 150 Charles Street W/ Toronto Ontario Canada > Phone (416) 585-4504/ FAX (416) 813-4093/ [log in to unmask] > List-owner of REED-L <http://www.reed.utoronto.ca/reed-l.html> > http://www.reed.utoronto.ca/ => REED's home page > http://www.reed.utoronto.ca/stage.html => our Web guide > http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~young => my home page >