New Family History Centres in Fife - great, but....

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 9:13 pm

From
http://www.safhs.org.uk/bulletin/bulletins_index.htm

One of the three proposed Family History Centres opened in the St Andrews Local Office, St Mary's Place on the 29 June 2005. Opening times are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 9 am to 12 am. Two other centres at Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy are due to open by the end of this year.

Sounds great. Or so I thought. I've been in contact with Fife Coucil and received this reply to my query re DIGROS access:

DIGROS is used in St Andrews for public information but cannot be used by the public. It is a slightly different version that local registrars use and security does not allow the system to be used yet by members of the public. It just means that the registrar will operate the system on your behalf whilst you are there.

The assisted search costs £20 per hour and it is open to the public Tuesday, Wed and Thurs mornings.

For me that's about as much use as a chocolate bicycle. Just as well I quite enjoy a wee trip to Edinburgh now and again, cos it looks like that's still the only real option....

Best wishes
Lesley

...more info can be found here

JimM · Post by **JimM** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 1:04 pm

Hi Lesley
So Fife council don't want us to search their DIGROS........just what've they got to hide?

At £20 an hour is quite steep..... you could afford to travel by train to Edinburgh or Glasgow and still be better off

Jim

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 1:47 pm

JimM wrote:Hi Lesley
So Fife council don't want us to search their DIGROS........just what've they got to hide?

Sounds like it's a direct link into the GROS Staff system which has more capabilities than what we puir mortals are allowed to access at NRH, such as RCE images, and goodness what other goodies ..........

At £20 an hour is quite steep..... you could afford to travel by train to Edinburgh or Glasgow and still be better off

Jim

Even for a half-day from 1pm, - you can do a lot for £70

David

JimM · Post by **JimM** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 2:22 pm

Hi David
Point taken, but why should it affect "security" if we were able to view RCE's?

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I could understand if it were for adoption records, but as far as I'm aware these records are not accessible even to staff at NRH.

I'm not against anyone using researchers if they are afar, but Fife council says "registrar will operate the system on your behalf whilst you are there".
While I accept that this may be a good system for someone just starting their tree and not confident on a computer.... I would still prefer to do a full days searching at Park Circus for £13

Jim

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 8:03 pm

Hi David & Jim
When I first heard about these proposed centres some months ago I was quite excited as I thought it was shaping up like a Fife "Park Circus" which sounded great. This may still be the eventual aim, I don't know. ( I have written to ask..)

I hope, in the future they will see their way to offerering a wider service -

and security does not allow the system to be used yet by members of the public

& this quote perhaps offers some hope!

The expensive "hand-holding" experience that St Andrews currently offers will, I'm sure, be hugely popular with visiting tourists from other countries who fancy a "quick fix" of their Scottish roots, but it seems a huge waste of opportunity and resources at the moment. (OK, I'm biased, I know what I would like to see...) ...and its very frustrating to be so near, yet so far from a source of information!

By all means continue the "registrar led" option for those who would prefer that, but I would hope it would be possible to offer resources within the same centre for those of us who prefer, where possible, to do our own research. I'll keep you posted!!

Best wishes
Lesley

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 8:17 pm

Even for a half-day from 1pm, - you can do a lot for £70

Go mid week, or offpeak times and I could buy a return flight to Italy and have enough change for a decent meal when I got there! No competition there as to what I'd do with my 70 quid I'm afraid!! ...& the rellies would still be there when I got back!

Best wishes
Lesley

StewL · Post by **StewL** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 12:53 am

Lesley

Enjoy your quick trip to Italy, the meal and a bottle of Chianti

Being so far away from the source of the "manna from heaven" puts a tinge of jealousy in the heid

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 12:18 pm

lbathgate wrote:Hi David & Jim
When I first heard about these proposed centres some months ago I was quite excited as I thought it was shaping up like a Fife "Park Circus" which sounded great. This may still be the eventual aim, I don't know. ( I have written to ask..) ...... much snipped..........

Me too! I'd never previuously heard mention of the supervised research approach.

There's a SP User Group meeting a week on Monday, so if the chance arises before or after the meeting to ask an informal question, I'll see if I can get some clarification.

David

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 6:09 pm

Update with regard to public access to DIGROS system in NE Fife received today in reply to my email :

"...we are presently restricted by General Register Office via system security. I understand that they hope to look at this in the longer term to enable customers to use this system alone.

Hopefully, this will not be too long."

Best wishes
Lesley

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 10:06 am

lbathgate wrote:Update with regard to public access to DIGROS system in NE Fife received today in reply to my email :

"...we are presently restricted by General Register Office via system security. I understand that they hope to look at this in the longer term to enable customers to use this system alone.

Hopefully, this will not be too long."
Best wishes
Lesley

Aye weel, - sounds very understandable, but how come Park Circus is able to able researchers to access dIGROS on their, but St Andrews can't?

David