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From: John Lyon <>
Subject: [LDR] Trip to the Archives
Date: Thu, 4 May 2000 07:16:13 -0400


A bad Archives day, eh, Craig?

Seeing this harangue is actually very timely. I've been recently
invited to serve a three year appointment - through Fall 2003 -
on the Reference and Search Room Advisory Board for the
Archives. This is a 14 member group which advises on all
reference services (local, mail, phone, Net) and records access,
covering customer constituencies in "genealogical and other
research, education and government".

The next meeting of this Board is 31 May, and I've just begun
to canvass folk I know for inputs relating to any aspect of
customer services and improvements thereto. Craig's
note certainly inspires me to poll this List openly, rather
than a few users one-by-one. Ain't technology wunnerful?

I'm aware of a number of the plans and work in progress by
the Archives, some of which address the chronic problems
with the microfilm services and physical plant. Some are
constrained by budget, as Craig acknowledges, but some
can be dealt with more immediately. It would be good to
have the widest array of experiences and druthers to make
triage recommendations and choices...

I do know very well that the State Archivist, Dr. Papenfuse,
and the Research Services staff are very keen on improving
and expediting support to the genealogical community, which
has been the fastest growing segment of the Archives
customer base.

So, let me just take this opportunity to invite any of you who
have comments on any aspect of Archives operations along
any lines to send them to me. As "merely" an advisor to
the Archives, I can't promise anything except that your
observations will be conveyed completely and that I'll
let you know as clearly and as quickly as I can what the
prospects or plans are for addressing them.

Please send anything you have to me privately at




John Lyon



Message text written by Craig O'Donnell:
>
My long-postponed trip to the Archives happened earlier this week -- just a
few hours, but enough time to dig through some things on the internal (it's
**awful**) catalogue

The internal index uses an antiquated type of search engine

Among the other glories of this system is the fact that you cannot print
individual index listings,

... then there are the largely-dysfunctional microfilm readers.

... and the 50 cents a shot cost for xerox prints from microfilms,

It occurs to me that people who use the Archives might want to write
letters demanding -- nicely -- working microfilm readers/printers. <


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