The closure of The National Archives' Services at the Family Records Center is announced in a press release. The staff and services of The National Archives at the Family Records Centre moved to Kew when the doors closed March 15. The transfer of services and expertise into one building will make research easier. The National Archives in Kew is being extensively refurbished and improved, as part of an ongoing improvement programme incorporating the services provided by The National Archives at the Family Records Centre. When complete, additional seating, microfiche readers and computer terminals will be available to visitors, improving access to original records, research resources and the ever-growing range of online material.

People who used to visit the first floor of the Family Records Centre will find all of the information they enjoyed available at Kew. In addition, they will be able to consult documents and records spanning 1,000 years of history and have access to a wider range staff expertise. To provide security for staff and visitors whilst also ensuring documents are protected The National Archives has installed a new security system. If you would like any more information about the improvements at Kew please visit The National Archives web site.

Labels: National Archives, UK

As reported in the Worcester New, "Help on hand for family researchers," a new online guide has been launced to help family historians research their ancestors in Worcestershire. Tracing Your Ancestors in Worcestershire is a guide to all the parishes of the old county of Worcestershire as it was prior to the reorganisation of local government in 1974. It has been launched on the Worcester branch web site of the Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry (BMSGH).

Labels: genealogy resources, UK

As reported on Digital Spy, "BBC launches 'Who Do You Think You Are' magazine," the BBC is to launch a Who Do You Think You Are? magazine off the back of the successful genealogy series of the same name. The show, which returns for its fourth series on BBC One on Thursday, has already been the subject of a live exhibition at London's Olympia in May this year. Previous guests on the TV show, including Colin Jackson, Ian Hislop and David Baddiel, attended the event and talked their experiences.

The new 100-page full-colour magazine will be produced by BBC Magazines Bristol and launches on September 25 for a cost of £4.25. Each issue will include a DVD or CD with clips of the BBC show and archive material. A website to support the magazine goes live later this week. Genealogy website Ancestry.co.uk - which also sponsored the live show - will reportedly act as the data provider for the BBC web site. Production company Wall to Wall, which produces the series, has also announced a second live show for May 2008.

Labels: genealogy publications, UK