Online On-Site: Transforming Public Services in The National Archives

摘要

This article describes recent changes to The National Archives' on-site services, including the extension and reorganisation of the public areas at Kew and the closure of the Family Records Centre in Islington. It relates them to developments in the online environment, which are changing the expectations of records researchers and the capabilities of record offices to meet them, thus affecting the whole archives sector. It describes the outcomes of The National Archives' policies in making its records accessible online, on-site as well as remotely. It shows how the redesign of its reading rooms was shaped by the views of users and staff.