Latest news from The National Archives is on the 30th April they will switch off their old catalogue, and 'Discovery' will become the only way to search TNA collections.
The Catalogue was a groundbreaking tool when first launched over a decade ago. However, the TNA reached the point where it was no longer practical or cost-effective to maintain or update it, and started work three years ago on building a new catalogue: Discovery.
Both catalogues were kept operational to allow users to get to grips with the new version. However, TNA has now said due to budget cuts it can no longer maintain two systems so the old catalogue is to be switched off on the 30th April and Discovery will be the only way to search the vast collections. There's more information here.
Which system do you prefer? A number of family historians have not been that impressed with the new Discovery catalogue system and preferred the old one!
Latest news from the National Archives is the proposed new release of more colonial administration records, covering the many territories under British administration before they gained independence. The National Archives is working with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to transfer and begin releasing these records, referred to as the 'migrated archives', between April 2012 and November 2013.The records cover a wide range of subject matter relating to colonial administration. The material reflects events in the territories generally pre-independence and reflects Her Majesty's Government's views at the time.The records are being released in tranches. The fifth tranche of files will be made available on site at The National Archives from Friday 26 April 2013. This release will contain records from Ceylon, Kenya, Malta, Mauritius, New Hebrides, Nigeria, Northern Rhodesia, Nyasaland, Palestine, Sierra Leone and Singapore.
Well worth taking a look if you had ancestors living in these countries pre-independence! There's more on the National Archives website.
Latest news from The National Archives at Kew. Over the last few months they have been digitising part of the WO 95 record series which consists of unit war diaries from the First World War. The project has now been completed. The series is apparently one of the most requested in their reading rooms and digitising these diaries will enable them to publish online, making them more accessible for the First World War centenary commemorations happening next year.
There's more details available from the National Archives website here.
First World War Unit Diary digitisation now complete
