TNA copying options and possibilities - I am confused

[Mikkel Plannthin]

In March 2010 the below mentioned discussion on TNA's copying policy took place
http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7927

Tonight I was looking through the options on the website and is a bit confused. The site states that there is a £ 20 estimate fee, but does not state that it shall be deducted from the final price.
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/legal/recordcopying.htm

Further more it is stated that they are (soon) no longer able to provide free searches in files to identify items to be copied
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/recordcopying/

This information seems to be different than the ones discussed earlier on the board. Am I the only one confused?

For some years I have been very fund of the copying service at TNA as it has been my way to information on my Danish pilots. I have never been able to visit TNA in person. The information in question has been AIR 27, i.e. ORBs.

At first I specified the order to a ORB (form 540 and 541) from month X to month Y. Initially I paid £ 10 for the estimate, but since it always amounted to more, this was no problem at all. Later there were no estimate fee.

Later I ordered whole files, i.e. AIR 27/XXXX, having the experience that I then received a CD-ROM rather than paper copies. Last time I ordered was the day before they introduced an estimate fee again.

Estimating that I have a 100+ ORBs etc. to go through before I finalize my research on Danish pilots I realise that I have a clear cut business case for going the TNA in person, but taking into account my ability to actually go to London for e.g. a week at a time, the copying option is what keeps the research going at the moment.

Does anyone have an idea of the present options for ordering CD-ROMs of individual records (the full date range) within the AIR 27 group?

Regards

Mikkel Plannthin

[David Wallace]

Mikkel
One way I got files fairly quickly and reasonably since they were not already on microfilm was to hire an experienced researcher to pull the documents, photograph them then send them to me. The detail was very good and photographs of the pages are actually nicer and more readable than the microfilm ones I had bought from the NA. Obviously you need a good person with the right equipment and maybe I was lucky but it really worked out for me. The researcher photographed the entire ORB in short order, I had it quickly and at a reasonable price. These days the best way of dealing with TNA may be bypassing them and using independent researchers.
Regards
Dave Wallace

[Mikkel Plannthin]

David
Thank you for your advice. Appreciated.

Mikkel

[Mikkel Plannthin]

Going directly to the source, I wrote TNA archive as well, and got the following reply:

"The £20.00 estimate fee applies only in the cases of customers requiring their copies on microfilm.

There has been no change to the way in which copy estimates can be placed and in the case of the AIR 27 series we can copy these directly form film to CD-Rom. When placing the estimate request please ask for Digital Images and tick the box marked 'COPY ALL PAGES'.

If you follow this process you not have any difficulty in placing the estimate requests, there is no estimate fee involved in these cases."

Hope this can be of help to others as well.

Regards

Mikkel Plannthin

[Jagan]

Mikkel
One way I got files fairly quickly and reasonably since they were not already on microfilm was to hire an experienced researcher to pull the documents, photograph them then send them to me.

Dave Wallace

Dave, What would be the 'per page' average cost if you use an independent researcher? Do you have any recommendations?

[David Wallace]

I think he charged about 25 pounds per hour and it will depend on how many books he has to pull out and set up. He gave me a "guesstimate", I think it was 100 pounds and I got 300 pages or so. He was good to deal with and has a website http://www.searcher-na.co.uk/ . I had used another researcher for something else before this and didn't get very good results.
Dave Wallace