In June, T&A reported on the sale of Margaret Macmillan Tower by Bradford Council. At that time there was no mention of the Bradford Archives or the Bradford Area Research Library. Both were located on the ground floor, with extensive storage areas in the basement of the office block.
Since then, FOBALS has been asking what will happen to both archives and area studies. We invited the council's then relocation project manager to the July meeting, but he declined.
There were two main reasons why we wanted to participate in the move.
* To secure a future archives and area studies library in Bradford.
* We will help members in all ways, including packing for moving.
It is now November and Bradford City Council has not informed the public of the temporary closure and relocation of its archives and community research facilities. The Archives is closing its doors while we pack up and prepare to move, and we hope that one day the same thing will happen with Local Studies. However, when and where it will be relocated remains a mystery.
As far as FOBALS knows, in 2025, Bradford's City of Culture year, Margaret Macmillan Tower will no longer be owned by Bradford City Council and will no longer be able to house the Bradford Archives and Local Studies Library. where are they?
Over the past 150 years Bradford Library has amassed a rich and extensive collection of material about Bradford and the surrounding area. This forms a unique resource for researching past and present topics.
People come from far and wide to Bradford to study these collections or contact our staff. It is important to understand the future location of these services so that staff have sufficient time to prepare for the movement of these extensive resources.
We therefore call on Bradford Council to answer our questions and publish plans for the Bradford Archives and Area Studies Library.
Sue Steele, FOBALS Secretary, BFHS President
