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Archiver > SOUTH-AFRICA > 1997-08 > 0870816176


From: Lorna <>
Subject: Re: Cape Archives Depot
Date: Tue, 05 Aug 1997 14:22:56 -0700


Greetings,

I asked one of the archivists at the Cape Town branch to answer the
following questions.

Brad and Naida Geisler wrote:

> I have a question about the Cape Archives Depot.

> I have read in a few sources that they will perform a computer search on
> a particular person which will result in a list of all sources of
> information available for that person. I am wondering the following:
>
> 1. How many persons will they search in one request;

5 References

> 2. Will they send copies of documents, or must these be requested
> later?

NO copies will be sent. Church records and estate papers have been
withdrawn from photocopying due to poor physical condition of
documents. Information can be manually recorded or photographed by
private researchers. Enquiries which will take longer than 5-10 minutes
are referred to private researchers. As a rule we do no genealogical
research.

> The last time I requested information from the Archives Depot, I was
> sent a list of names of genealogists. I realize that the Archivists are
> not in the business of researching families for individuals, but where
> do they draw the line on locating information by request?
>
> Also, does anyone have a name of a researcher who has access to the
> Depot and is willing to do the legwork for a reasonable fee?

Lorna wrote:
The researchers listed are well known and have many years of experience
and can only be good value for those changing their currency into
rands!!! You get an hour's work for less than it costs us to order one
death, birth or marriage certificate from the UK. And furthermore...
our Death Notices must be the best value compared to simular documents
in the rest of the world!

The government has cut back on funding to an alarming extent.
Previously Cape Town employed 14 archivists. The number has now
decreased to four. Spend one morning at the archives and you will
realise that apart from copying by hand Death Notices, the staff answer
telephone queries, give newbies crash courses in genealogy and still
manage to increase the number of indexed records which improves
accessibility to mention but a few of their tasks. Perhaps the sadest
aspect of their work is that they have to police the reading room...
thefts and desecration of documents occur on a regular basis.

My vote of thanks for a great service.
Lorna Newcomb.

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