The Scottish Catholic Archives (SCA), situated at Columba House in Edinburgh, were abruptly and indefinitely closed by the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland on 28 June, as a result of staff shortages.
There has been no official announcement of the news as yet (even the SCA's website has not been updated to reflect the closure), but the story is covered at some length (including reactions by academics) in The Glasgow Herald.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/anger-over-decision-to-close-church-archives.18001562
Thanks to Glenn Wright for the tip.
There seems to be a widespread misconception that Columba House at 16 Drummond Place, the home of the Scottish Catholic Archives since 1958, is closed for the foreseeable future.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, the opposite is true. Columba House, with its incredible storehouse of documents, is very much open for business, but, due to staffing shortages, offering a reduced service for the time being.
Researchers should have no problem accessing the collection, making an appointment by emailing archivists@scottishcatholicarchives.org.uk or telephoning 0131 556 3661.
I was there last week. The service was professional, the reading room cosy, the wireless connection excellent and the documents, as ever, fascinating. The presence of other researchers from many parts of Scotland and overseas, added to the positive experience.
Yours sincerely,
Michael T R B Turnbull.