WIREDGOV

During the week beginning Monday 25 March we will be carrying out some work in the Research and Enquiries area of the on site reading rooms.

From Monday 25 March the London Family History Centre will no longer have a physical presence in the reading rooms at Kew, and we will be repurposing the space it currently occupies.

The National Archives has agreed to become a FamilySearch Affiliate Library, meaning that access to all digitised records on FamilySearch will continue on PCs located in the reading rooms. Visitors will need to have a (free) FamilySearch account with which to access records, and self-help guides will be available.

The changes will include the addition of soft seating areas for reading and private study, new low shelving for library material and the creation of an informal lecture space to accommodate student groups.

This work will involve some rearrangement of the current layout of the reading rooms, including the microfilm readers and the Army, Navy and Air Force lists. However, the overall number of PC terminals available will remain the same.

The work is scheduled to be completed by Friday 29 March. We expect the disruption to visitors to be minimal and there will be no adverse effect to our services.