Online National Register of Archives expands
Online National Register of Archives expands
27 February 2008
What do a Stockport hat manufacturer, an East London borough council and the famous poet, Alexander Pope, have in common? Answer: you can find out about all of them by searching in the National Register of Archives.
The National Archives is funding a project to make available online 250,000 pages of the National Register of Archives lists. The focus of the project is on helping smaller archives to put their own catalogues online.
Treasure trove of historical information
The National Register of Archives contains details of the holdings of archives across the UK and beyond - a treasure trove of historical information. The scope and the sheer numbers involved in this invaluable research tool are remarkable. Overall, the register can provide information about the historical records of some 50,000 individuals, 9,000 families, 32,000 businesses and 100,000 other organisations.
Thanks to projects like Access to Archives, many of these catalogues are available online. However, many catalogues are still only available as paper lists. By digitising 250,000 pages of paper lists, The National Archives aims to ensure the catalogues of participating archives are made easier to search and more accessible for existing and new researchers alike. It will also continue the work of Access to Archives in making catalogues available online.
Nick Kingsley, Head of the National Advisory Services at The National Archives, said, "By providing online access to these hidden treasures, The National Archives will continue to open up an extraordinary world of historical knowledge to researchers. This project will not only raise the profiles of these archives across the globe, but will also reinforce the unique role they play in the history of the country and their local areas".
