Document ordering at Kew
 

https://nationalarchives.gov.uk/abou...ment-ordering/


This looks like staff cuts disguised as improvements. Instead of ordering the documents when you want, you will have to do it in advance, or within specific time slots.

I'm happy with the new change. Can now order 12 documents in advance (and why wouldn't you order in advance if you know what you want) compared to 6 before and 12 more when you're there, without being restricted to 3 at a time and having to wait for the next batch of 3 to arrive

"If you know what you want"

Items like Valuation act field books are a two-part procedure. You need to order the map to find the reference, so it's difficult to do in advance.

I agree that if you do know what you want, it would be wonderful to find your locker stuffed to the gills when you arrive, but I don't understand why ordering documents should be confined to narrow time slots. In record offices where paper slips are collected every so often, I invariably miss a collection because I'm absorbed in wha I am doing.

That applies in lots of cases. You can order, but when the document arrives and having searched it, for example, you might find it's not relevant and you might need to order something else. The main advantage to me is not being restricted to ordering 3 documents at a time and having to wait to place the next order. Planning your orders is key

It sounds great for people who know what they need, but not for people who are discovering new information on the spot.