Library charges

[Kathy]

Yes Alan, 1917 that's why I have been reluctant to give the details.

I have just had an email from the Library, said they had not realised I was in Australia, and have emailed me the article, sad situation, but a brilliant full article giving a lot more information than I had hoped for.

Kathy

[LesleyB]

Hi Kathy

That is a good outcome - glad they were able to email it to you.

Best wishes
Lesley

[Kathy]

Great outcome Lesley,

From the article I have been able to establish that the relation I was researching was the father-in-law of the other two gentleman, the accident happened only about 300yds from shore, and was witnessed by the three wives of the victims, they were still searching for one of the men 4 days after the accident.

Kathy

[Big Sanny]

Great outcome Lesley,

From the article I have been able to establish that the relation I was researching was the father-in-law of the other two gentleman, the accident happened only about 300yds from shore, and was witnessed by the three wives of the victims, they were still searching for one of the men 4 days after the accident.

Kathy

And just think of how much this info would have cost you from an Australian library ..... the home of 'fees'.

Talk aboot whingers.

[Kathy]

Actually, I have received free articles from the NSW State Library, emailed to me at no cost.

Having said that, I think Big Sanny may be getting the bull by the horns, it was not a complaint about the cost, the complaint was the charges involved in making such a small payment, and the method that the payment had to be made.

If that constitutes a winge, well then you are correct.

Kathy

[Currie]

Hello Big Sanny,

I guess you meant to type Austrian Library, don’t worry, people get us mixed up all the time. The Austrian National Anthem has often been played when an Australian has won something.

Compared to Austrian Libraries Australian libraries are truly excellent. There’s the Australian Newspaper Digitisation Program at the National Library of Australia, which is in the process of digitising many newspapers from the early 1800’s right up to 1955, and which is freely accessible by anyone on the planet. http://newspapers.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/home

The National Library of Australia also has a huge range of online databases available free to all Australian residents from their own homes. Some of the NLA ones and some additional ones are also available free from some Australian State libraries. The amount of online information available free to Australians from their own homes would be enough to make an Austrian green with envy. http://www.nla.gov.au/app/eresources/li ... 0&start=60

The Australian National Archives, which is, I suppose, a sort of a library, has the full Army file of all Australian WW1 veterans online and freely available to everybody. In Austria they probably have to pay some foreign company for the privilege of seeing theirs, even the files of those soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice. http://www.naa.gov.au/

I could probably go on and on till the cows come home.

All the best,
Alan

[Archiver]

Charging is a thorny issue, especially when people are located overseas and exchange rates and bankers drafts are expensive to get. There are places which will waive small charges for overseas customers if the cost of exchanging money is prohibitive, or if there is no other way round it (relative or friend who can pay, for example).

Paypal is another issue! Most archives and libraries are part of local authorities who do not allow Paypal to be used for payments (I think it costs an awful lot). Some local authorities do have facilities for online payments, but these are usually for things like Council Tax, Parking Spaces, Rent, etc, and not for smaller charges. It is one of those areas where the administration of setting this up could end up being more than the income generated by having such a facility and therefore not viable, especially in the current round of budget cuts.