Frances Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 The Museum supports 3 (maybe 4) activities 1 - National Museum + Art Gallery - agree it is a pity that these are not open on Sunday Afternoons (possibly with a Monday closing to compensate out of season) - my guess is there are at least 5 maybe 6 security staff needed thus probably 1 or 2 extra staff posts 2 - the new extension also contains a large lecture theatre + smaller meeting rooms - these seem to get some use in evenings (+ hired out to industry other times) but seem to me to be somewhat underutilised - possibly the poor parking and restricted catering doesn't help - security doors into the galleries might well allow these to have extended opening hours without too much additional cost 3 - the Library - effectively the Manx National Library and Archives - I don't know of any other PRO that is open on Sunday - there is a considerable cost- minimum 3 maybe 4 trained professional staff - there is a legal requirement to open every work day. It may be possible to duplicate the microfilms (especially those relating to family history as opposed to more academic research) and provide these without trained staff (or maybe volunteers from Fam History Soc now they have lost their library in Peel) but with security staff overseeing the room - such a room maybe with card access could be on a different site (eg as in London and elsewhere in the Family History centres) - the existing library/reference room is IMO too small and not up to modern standards but there appears to be neither room nor money to modernise/expand - there are few awards to be gained by having a good PRO as opposed to talking models in a pseudo heritage centre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b4mbi Posted July 27, 2006 Author Share Posted July 27, 2006 Tell me, why should banks, offices etc be closed on Saturday + Sunday? Somebody somewhere will be having a day off on Saturday, and they may need their services on that day, and find it extremely difficult to gain those services at any other time. You both are a pair of hypocrits, expecting others to lose their weekends totally for your convenience, and yet are unprepared to sacrifice your weekends for others. Most retail banks are open on Saturday mornings now. Are you deliberately trying to be provocative and argumentative for no good reason other than to provoke a reaction? So now we are hypocrits (sic) just for asking a perfectly valid question? and what sort of retort is "Perhaps you are the one who should do some thinking ?" Childish. You're entitled to your views, of course, but do try and validate your arguments with reasoned, clear and logical statements. Then you can be just like a grown up person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lonan3 Posted July 27, 2006 Share Posted July 27, 2006 With regards to reference/library section - isn't it time that a project was started to make it available on the internet - possibly with a membership fee to enable access? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ripsaw Posted July 27, 2006 Share Posted July 27, 2006 With regards to reference/library section - isn't it time that a project was started to make it available on the internet - possibly with a membership fee to enable access? Agreed. It's a thought that has crossed my mind on a number of occasions. It forms 'part' of my interest in the Isle of Man Wiki thread that I started Idealy, there would be a centrally located server with an all encompassing 'official' database about the Island. Along side this would run 'User contributed' information (a la Wiki) and chat/forums. There is so much information out there which is fragmented over thousands of sites and locations. (This also ties into my IOM TV idea, but this isn't the time or place for that yet ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b4mbi Posted July 27, 2006 Author Share Posted July 27, 2006 very good idea lonan. massive undertaking tho..... could cost the tax payer further millions if not managed properly! LMFAO! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frances Posted July 27, 2006 Share Posted July 27, 2006 With regards to reference/library section - isn't it time that a project was started to make it available on the internet - possibly with a membership fee to enable access? cost would be rather high in terms of scanning cost (many microfilms are in poor condition + most of early newspapers need refilming) - storeage costs might be just about mangeable - prob 500,000 pasges of wills at 1 MB/page + prob 1M pages of newspapers at 10MB/page just for starters A more useful start would be to put a version of their Mimsy (?) Catalogue online - and to convert the card based filing system to a searchable on-line database - a self serrvice film scanner to cd-room or usb stick would free up much staff time + save wear on films For Family historians a correct transcription of the official copy of the parish reg + later info (tho much is now done by Brian Lawson at www.lawsons.ca) would help - images of 1841-1901 censuses can be bought on cdrom - now that most parish regs are in MM a project to film them should be done as urgent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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