Visiting its library is probably not the reason why most people go to The National Archives at Kew. The library is a favourite of mine as I made a breakthrough in researching a side line in my family there when I found a book with reference to the father's residence for a printer's apprentice in Leicester, a connection which confirmed a link back a few more generations.
TNA has arguably the best genealogical library in the UK.
Now the library catalogue is replaced by a
new open-source system called Koha.
It includes material in the main, first (second) floor, library and in off-site storage and TNA's departmental libraries.
If you're going to TNA its worth including searching the library catalogue as part of your preparation.
2 comments:
Thank you John for this link. I use the Library Catalogue at the National Archives about once a day at least. This new catalogue also permits you to browse the shelves around the book that interests you. Almost as good as being there but especially you can browse and see what else you want to look at. The library shelves are full at the National Archives. As I walked past them last October when we were at Kew, my fingers itched to be looking at all those books but I had organized myself to do particular things for our eight hours at Kew and do them we did!
Elizabeth Kipp
Thank you John,
As an arm chair genealogist I am very grateful for the news of online links to distant national historical resources. If I win a lottery, I'd spend weeks of time in Canadian and UK archives and libraries.
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