PRONI to resume normal service from Monday 20th June

The pandemic offered many challenges to our archive sector over the last two years, but if there is one institution that has been a true exemplar of how to address them right, and importantly, to keep the public and its user base on side whilst doing so, it is the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (www.nidirect.gov.uk/proni). 

Over the last two years PRONI has striven to offer as much access as possible to the public, in truly trying circumstances, and even took the opportunity to run an impromptu 'Covid census' to document its users' experiences in the pandemic. Today it has now announced its biggest milestone on the route back to normality - from Monday 20th June, PRONI is scrapping its appointments booking system and the cap imposed on numbers visiting. From next Monday, PRONI is essentially back to normal (I'm still awaiting clarification on hours, specifically regarding Thursday nights late opening). 

The following is its announcement:

A Message from Public Record Office of Northern Ireland:

 

The existing appointment system will be discontinued starting Monday 20 June, as will the cap on the number of public who can attend the office on any given day (groups will be required to book in advance). As from Monday anyone can walk into PRONI as it was before the start of the pandemic.

 

We still encourage you to wear masks in public/communal areas throughout the building however this will not be mandatory. 

Congratulations to all who have worked so hard in Belfast to get to this point!

(With thanks to Belfast and Larne branches of NIFHS, and Stephen Scarth at PRONI)

Chris

My new book Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records is now available to buy at https://bit.ly/IrishLandRecords. Also available - Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.