Funding cuts to and the reorganization of libraries and archives have been in the news on both sides of the Atlantic recently. In Ottawa, the Library and Archives saga continues to unfold. In the UK, it appears that austerity is having its greatest impact on those historical researchers who use local archives. The premier national institutions, the British Library and the National Archives in Kew, appear to have been spared the worst of the cuts, perhaps because the British government wants visiting researchers from overseas to have a good impression of the UK. However, many of the local archives have responded to reductions in their subsidies by increasing the fees they charge for photocopying and digital cameras.
Yesterday, The Guardian ran an interesting story about these funding cuts. Researchers have noted that photocopying charges and digital camera permits vary considerably from one local archive to another. I’ve certainly noticed major discrepancies in the cost of photocopying a page, which clearly suggests that some of the archives are charging well above cost. (After all, the cost of toner and photocopy paper is pretty uniform). The costs of digital camera permits vary even more considerably.
Day passes are issued for users to photograph documents to transcribe later from home or university. These can vary in price from £2 at Birmingham to £25 at North Yorkshire County Record Office. Berkshire Record Office charges £1 per image and for those needing access to long documents, the cost can become prohibitive.
You can read more about this important issue here.
The Past Speaks 