TNA UK charges: news

[Bruce Dennis]

The new policy on estimates for copying has been released by The National Archives. With immediate effect, there is no longer a free estimate facility. Anyone wanting an estimate for copying a file will pay TNA a non-refundable fee of £45 for the estimate. I know it will seem that I have made a mistake so I will clarify this point: you give them £45 and they give you an estimate for copying one file, and they keep the £45 whether or not you then order the copies. If you are interested in two files, the fee will be £90. Charges per A3 sheet seem set at £ .45 each, no A4 service. The TNA manager explaining the changes to a group of researchers was asked if TNA do not want to provide estimates anymore and the answer underlined their policy of referring enquiries from the public to Independent Researchers. Effectively, this means that the overwhelming majority of enquiries from the public to TNA will now either be dropped or will be handled by Independent Researchers.

There were also updates on the charges for digital copies to be downloaded, and I will wait for further information before commenting further, apart from saying there were no surprises.

Yesterday was the ‘official launch’ of the new system, coinciding with the monthly Readers Forum where we heard the details for the first time. The TNA website has a description of the process, but the above description comes from yesterday’s meeting where various questions were put to the senior staff about the process, and it would be very interesting to hear the experiences of anyone who contacts TNA as a member of the public enquiring about an estimate.

Bruce