Provincial Archives prepare for move to The Rooms

Tourism, Culture and Recreation Minister Paul Shelley today announced that in preparation for the move to The Rooms, the Provincial Archives of Newfoundland and Labrador will have reduced hours effective January 5, 2004. A full closure of the Archives will occur from May 1, 2004 until the grand opening of The Rooms in June 2004.

"In order to properly prepare for the move to The Rooms, there will need to be some disruption of service," said Minister Shelley. "We recognize that many people who use the Archives depend on access to conduct legal and other time-sensitive research, and that some clients depend on research for their livelihood. We have, therefore, decided to reduce hours rather than close the Archives completely for a longer period of time."

Effective January 5, 2004, the Provincial Archives will be closed to the public on Monday and Tuesday of each week for the months of January, February, March and April. The Archives will remain open, with full service, on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4: 15 p.m., and on Wednesday evening from 6:30 p.m. to 9:45 p.m.

Effective May 1, 2004, the Archives will be closed completely to the public until the grand opening of The Rooms in June 2004. All on-site research services, as well as all distance research services provided via e-mail, regular mail, telephone and fax will be suspended during that two-month period.

The schedule of reduced hours is necessary to ensure that all the records are properly prepared so that they can be moved safely to The Rooms. The full closure beginning in May 2004 will enable staff to relocate the Reference Room furniture, equipment, and reference materials from the Colonial Building to the new Reference Room at The Rooms. The move to The Rooms will provide an increase in on-line service and capacity for twice as many on-site researchers in a more comfortable physical environment.

"Over the years, clients have been asking for a more conducive physical environment in which they could conduct their research," said Minister Shelley. "We are positive that our clients will be pleased with the greatly expanded facilities at The Rooms."

The Provincial Archives is committed to preserving Newfoundland and Labrador�s archival records of provincial historical significance, including photographs, maps, architectural plans, electronic records and film footage for its on-site and distance clients from the rest of the province, Canada, the United States and even Europe. Its collection includes some 400,000 photographs, approximately 50,000 maps and more than four linear kilometres of textual records.

Media contact: Tansy Mundon, Communications, (709) 729-0928.

2003 12 15                                        10:15 a.m.