County prepares for new archives location

Archives. Photo by: Catarina Carvalho-Upsplash-Free Domain Use

By Cecilia Nasmith

Cobourg

To prepare for its move to a new and improved location this fall, Northumberland County Archives and Museum is curtailing services as of Feb. 21

The Northumberland County Archives and Museum is adjusting its services in preparing for the move to its new location this fall.

As of Feb. 21, non-mandatory archival services (such as research assistance and genealogical services) will be temporarily unavailable in order to allow staff to focus on preparing the collection for the move and the subsequent set-up in the new premises.

This new location is part of an innovative collaboration with the county in its rebuild of its long-term-care facility, the Golden Plough Lodge. The new site will allow staff to offer enhanced programming opportunities for the community, increased access to local historical and cultural collections, and state-of-the-art conservation equipment for improved preservation of Northumberland's history.

Features of the new space include an expanded reading room for research, new programming space for exhibitions and community groups, Category A standard collections storage and a conservation lab.

Preparation for the move includes organizing, cataloguing and ensuring the safe packaging and transport of more than 530 linear metres of archival materials and hundreds of artifacts. Setting up on the other end will include preparing exhibits for the museum space.

Archivist Abigail Miller said this transition period is an important step to this destination.

“We thank everyone for their understanding as we work behind the scenes to get the collection ready for its future home,” Miller said in the announcement, encouraging everyone interested to stay up to date with the move at their Facebook page @NCAMofficial

In their current location in the C. Gordon King Centre at 200 Ontario St., Cobourg, their last day open to the public will be Feb. 21. Any requests for research currently under way at that time will be completed, though new requests will not be accepted until NCAM opens at its new facility. Over the transition period, essential services (including requests related to government record and Freedom of Information requests) will continue. For more information, contact the team at ncam@northumberland.ca

To learn more about NCAM and their new location, visit Northumberland.ca/NCAM