Thank you for making some adjustments to the SW Wing project planning that will now reduce closure of access to manuscripts from 5 to 3 months, and will continue to offer limited access to manuscripts already held off-site and to designated public records. This will mitigate somewhat the severe impact on users who are currently engaged in work dependant on continued access to manuscripts. Thank you also for implementing your existing photographic policy and introducing an accessible and workable copying policy. All of the above is much appreciated.
There are, however, a number of important issues still extant that need to be clarified. These concern current and future access to the Caird Library and archives, and I hope that you will be kind enough to provide answers to the following few questions.
I cannot, from the information provided so far, understand why the current opening times of the Caird Library have been reduced to such an extent. Nor can I fathom, in the planning of such a high profile and expensive project, why there are no firm (or forecast) plans for opening times and levels of service at the Caird Library once the SW Wing development is completed.
I, and others concerned about future access to the Caird Library and archives, would be extremely grateful to receive clear and unequivocal answers to the following:
1. Why have the opening hours of the Caird Library been reduced firstly from 40 hours to 32 hours, and now to 20 hours per week (Tuesday to Thursday, plus one Saturday per month) – a level of service that is set to continue to at least Summer 2012?
2. What will be the Caird Library opening days and times from summer 2012 onwards?
3. You state that, from 2012, there will be more library retrievals than there are currently. What will the level of these retrievals be from 2012?
5. In view of your statement that “the Museum simply underestimated the ongoing demand for access to these collections during the construction programme”, can you explain how you will address this oversight in the run up to 2012 and beyond? Can you confirm that your plans for the SW Wing development will be re-profiled to take account of this underestimation? And if so, what measures will be employed to improve and increase public access with regard to opening times and retrievals during the ongoing development, and after completion in 2012?
6. If you are unable to confirm (or provide a statement of intent) for the preceding questions, please could you explain why, as the develolpment is now underway, you are unable to do so?
Dear Jacqui
Thank you for your comment. As you know, the new Research Centre is a very substantial and major part of the Sammy Ofer wing project. There is further information about the overall scheme on the museum’s website at http://www.nmm.ac.uk/about/sammy-ofer-wing/
1. The opening hours of the Library were slightly reduced from April 2008 to enable staff to do audit and documentation work in preparation for the move of the collections in early 2009. We also used this time to plan the packing and decant of the collections to be moved, and plan the arrangement of the material when it moves to offsite storage, to assist with retrievals.
The hours were further reduced from 5 January 2009 until the opening of the Research Centre in the Sammy Ofer wing in 2012 to allow time for us to pack up and move the collections, allow time to retrieve collections from temporary offsite storage for readers, and to continue work on enhancing catalogue records on the collections which will be held offsite until 2012. This essential work will mean that when the Research Centre opens in 2012, readers will be be able to better access the collections, as the catalogue descriptions and unit of production will be more specific.
2. We cannot say specifically what the opening hours will be in 2012, but they will be more ‘normal’ Library opening hours rather than the slightly reduced service between 2009-2012. We will be taking advice on this so that we best meet the needs of all our readers.
3. As you will appreciate, we are still planning the operations of the new Research Centre for 2012 and have not yet decided what the level of retrievals will be (ie. how many retrievals there will be a day). As soon as this detailed information is available, we will let everyone know on the website. However, it is our firm intention to improve on current levels of service.
(there is no number 4)
5. The statement that “the Museum simply underestimated the ongoing demand for access to these collections during the construction programme”, was actually part of a longer notice about the reasons for improving the opening hours of the Library during the move and construction period, which was put on the museum’s website on 19 December. With our existing resources, we do not envisage being able to improve our level of service further during 2009-2012, but this will be carefully monitored.
6. I hope the above answers some of your concerns. We will do all we can to keep everyone informed about our plans for the new Research Centre on the museum’s website.
Eleanor Gawne
Head of Archive & Library
Thank you for making some adjustments to the SW Wing project planning that will now reduce closure of access to manuscripts from 5 to 3 months, and will continue to offer limited access to manuscripts already held off-site and to designated public records. This will mitigate somewhat the severe impact on users who are currently engaged in work dependant on continued access to manuscripts. Thank you also for implementing your existing photographic policy and introducing an accessible and workable copying policy. All of the above is much appreciated.
There are, however, a number of important issues still extant that need to be clarified. These concern current and future access to the Caird Library and archives, and I hope that you will be kind enough to provide answers to the following few questions.
I cannot, from the information provided so far, understand why the current opening times of the Caird Library have been reduced to such an extent. Nor can I fathom, in the planning of such a high profile and expensive project, why there are no firm (or forecast) plans for opening times and levels of service at the Caird Library once the SW Wing development is completed.
I, and others concerned about future access to the Caird Library and archives, would be extremely grateful to receive clear and unequivocal answers to the following:
1. Why have the opening hours of the Caird Library been reduced firstly from 40 hours to 32 hours, and now to 20 hours per week (Tuesday to Thursday, plus one Saturday per month) – a level of service that is set to continue to at least Summer 2012?
2. What will be the Caird Library opening days and times from summer 2012 onwards?
3. You state that, from 2012, there will be more library retrievals than there are currently. What will the level of these retrievals be from 2012?
5. In view of your statement that “the Museum simply underestimated the ongoing demand for access to these collections during the construction programme”, can you explain how you will address this oversight in the run up to 2012 and beyond? Can you confirm that your plans for the SW Wing development will be re-profiled to take account of this underestimation? And if so, what measures will be employed to improve and increase public access with regard to opening times and retrievals during the ongoing development, and after completion in 2012?
6. If you are unable to confirm (or provide a statement of intent) for the preceding questions, please could you explain why, as the develolpment is now underway, you are unable to do so?
Comment by Jacqui January 13, 2009 @ 11:25 pm
Dear Jacqui
Thank you for your comment. As you know, the new Research Centre is a very substantial and major part of the Sammy Ofer wing project. There is further information about the overall scheme on the museum’s website at http://www.nmm.ac.uk/about/sammy-ofer-wing/
1. The opening hours of the Library were slightly reduced from April 2008 to enable staff to do audit and documentation work in preparation for the move of the collections in early 2009. We also used this time to plan the packing and decant of the collections to be moved, and plan the arrangement of the material when it moves to offsite storage, to assist with retrievals.
The hours were further reduced from 5 January 2009 until the opening of the Research Centre in the Sammy Ofer wing in 2012 to allow time for us to pack up and move the collections, allow time to retrieve collections from temporary offsite storage for readers, and to continue work on enhancing catalogue records on the collections which will be held offsite until 2012. This essential work will mean that when the Research Centre opens in 2012, readers will be be able to better access the collections, as the catalogue descriptions and unit of production will be more specific.
2. We cannot say specifically what the opening hours will be in 2012, but they will be more ‘normal’ Library opening hours rather than the slightly reduced service between 2009-2012. We will be taking advice on this so that we best meet the needs of all our readers.
3. As you will appreciate, we are still planning the operations of the new Research Centre for 2012 and have not yet decided what the level of retrievals will be (ie. how many retrievals there will be a day). As soon as this detailed information is available, we will let everyone know on the website. However, it is our firm intention to improve on current levels of service.
(there is no number 4)
5. The statement that “the Museum simply underestimated the ongoing demand for access to these collections during the construction programme”, was actually part of a longer notice about the reasons for improving the opening hours of the Library during the move and construction period, which was put on the museum’s website on 19 December. With our existing resources, we do not envisage being able to improve our level of service further during 2009-2012, but this will be carefully monitored.
6. I hope the above answers some of your concerns. We will do all we can to keep everyone informed about our plans for the new Research Centre on the museum’s website.
Eleanor Gawne
Head of Archive & Library
Comment by Eleanor Gawne January 16, 2009 @ 9:33 am