The document provides an overview of the West Yorkshire Archive Service, including its history, services, and visitor information. It describes what archives are, their importance, and how the archive service facilitates access to various records while maintaining their preservation. Additionally, it outlines the protocols for visiting the archives and the types of records available.

1. ‘ Scary, dusty, musty?’ An Introduction to the West Yorkshire Archive Service Catherine Taylor, E-Services Coordinator Wednesday 23 rd March 2011

2. This afternoon Talk a little about me and where an Archivist comes from. Try and answer the question “what are archives?” and “what does an archive service do? Talk a little about West Yorkshire Archive Service Guide you through what to expect when you visit us Very briefly try to give a flavour of some of things we hold

4. How did I get here? Been with WYAS for just over 4 years Graduated from Lancaster University in 1998 Various bits of archive experience Formal archive qualification from the University of Aberystwyth 1999-2000 Over ten years experience in different archive services – initially in London and then here. First at Wakefield and later as E-Services Coordinator

5. What are Archives? Everybody creates and uses records in the course of business & everyday life A small subset of these records will be worthy of permanent preservation Parchment, paper, photographs, film, electronic records- all are potential archives 100111001110011100110011110000001111100101010010011100111011001001001011100110010010001000011110001101010100100100100100100111111100000011100100010000100100100000000110001110001001001000010010101010101010111111000001010101001001001001110101001001001001000011100010010010001001001100100011110010002

6. What does the Archive Service do? Provides secure & environmentally monitored storage Catalogues and indexes Access and advice for researchers Conservation facilities Conservation tools Japanese visitors at Kirklees

7. West Yorkshire Archive Service Began as the West Yorkshire County Record Office in 1974 In 1986 became part of West Yorkshire Joint Services as part of the Heritage division Funded proportionally by the five district authorities in West Yorkshire

8. WYAS Offices 2 Chapeltown Road Sheepscar Central Library Princess Alexandra Walk Huddersfield West Yorkshire Archives: Leeds West Yorkshire Archives: Kirklees

9. WYAS Offices Prince’s Way Bradford Central Library, Halifax Northgate Halifax West Yorkshire Archives: Bradford West Yorkshire Archives: Calderdale

10. WYAS Offices The Registry of Deeds Newstead Road Wakefield West Yorkshire Archives: Wakefield

11. Statistically speaking… In 2009-2010 we: Said hello to 12,303 visitors Retrieved and issued 22,193 original documents Opened 2,937 items of post Replied to 6,989 emails Answered the phone 14,082 times Accessioned 345 new items or collections = 32m 3 Managed to consume well over 2,500 cups of tea and over 1,700 cups of coffee. And incalculable numbers of biscuits and cakes!

12. Opening times Recommend making an appointment Wakefield: Open Monday 9.30 am – 8 pm 2 nd and 4 th Mondays 9.30 am – 8 pm Tuesday 9.30 am – 5 pm Thursday 9.30 am – 5 pm 2 nd Saturday in month 9.30 am – 1 pm For our other offices look at our website www.archives.wyjs.org.uk Or there are some leaflets available at the end

13. May have to press a buzzer to get in Place your coats, bags etc in a locker if one is available CARN ticket scheme Nationwide reader registration scheme improves security for our documents Need identification stating name, address and signature – driving licence most convenient! Cards last for four years and can be used at over 70 archive services in England and Wales Please don’t bring any coats, bags, pens, water, sweets, cough medicine, gum, fruit pastilles, stanley knives (!) into the archive reading room Visiting us – on arrival

14. Visiting us – how to order material Check with staff whether anything is waiting for you already Ask a member of staff to give a quick run through of how the catalogues and ordering system works Don’t worry if you find them a little confusing at first Our catalogues are listed to an international standard, so once you have got the hang of it you’ll find them all pretty much the same See if there’s one of our user guides to help you Available from staff at the office or Download the lot, for free, from our website.

15. Visiting us – what format is it on? Very little of what we hold has been digitised – though we are working on that Popularly used records such as parish registers, some electoral registers and Will indexes may be on microfiche – Cuts down wear and tear on the originals Enables us to have copies in more than one location Enables us to provide photocopies without causing damage to the original May also have a transcribed copy or an index, especially of parish registers.

16. Visiting us – Handling records

17. What if I can’t get to the archives? Able to offer ten minute research free of charge so: Get in touch by email, letter, telephone – we don’t mind! Very popular service – main way we have contact with our users 30 minute search service for simple look-ups Research Service for more complex queries also available Just ask us – we’re here to help!

18. Local Authority & Official Records Local Board & Urban District Council pre 1974 School records Township records Poor Law Unions Workmen’s dwellings at Moldgreen 1913 Huddersfield Union Workhouse

19. Church Records Church of England Wakefield, Bradford & Ripon and Leeds dioceses Nonconformist Methodist Baptist Congregational & Independent Presbyterian Unitarian Roman Catholic Dewsbury Parish Church Bastardy Bond

20. Maps, Plans & Surveys Enclosure Awards Tithe Maps Ordnance Survey Estate Surveys Austonley Township Map 1801

21. Family & Estate Records Family & Estate records: Title deeds, accounts, leases, maps, rentals, surveys Manorial records Court Rolls/Latin Whitley Beaumont Survey Book 1820 Slaithwaite Manor Court Roll 1544

22. Business Records S Crawshaw & Sons, Dewsbury Bentley’s Yorkshire Breweries Burdon & Wilkinson, Cabinet makers Huddersfield

23. Clubs & Societies Crosland Hill Knitting Circle 1940 South Elmsall Inner Wheel

24. Countywide Records at Wakefield Electoral Registers Petty Sessions West Riding Quarter Sessions Hospital Records Prison Records West Riding & Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council records Registry of Deeds An inmate of Calder Farm Reformatory School

25. The Registry of Deeds in figures: 13,000 memorial volumes 7 million deeds 14 million pages 21,000 deeds registered in the first twenty years of the registry 2.7 million deeds registered in the last twenty

26. Any questions?

27. Preserve the past Serve the present Protect the future