HELP i wanna be prepared.

[blinky]

im going on my first visit to the national archives soon and i want to know
what do i take?
what dont i take?
any advice that will make my day worthwhile would be appreciated.

[GRACELAND]

Get as much information as poss before you go so you know what to look for !!
        Also remember you are no allowed to take much in to the search rooms so take notes with an note pad !!! 

[English Jen]

No pens allowed, only pencils.  They do  have lockers that you can put your bags in, but they don't like you taking much more than notepad etc in with you.  They do have a cafe/restaurant there, make sure you eat, you'll get so engrossed in what you are doing.  Have you already got a reader ticket?  If not, it will save you time when you get there.  There are very helpful instruction leaflets everywhere ... use them or it all gets a bit mind boggling!!!!  And lastly, enjoy yourself.   

[RJ_Paton]

re pencils ... much safer to stick with "ordinary" pencils ... any that remotely look llike pens can cause delays while you explain them 

ps remember a sharpener.

[GRACELAND]

ps remember a sharpener.

          But do not take it up stairs not allowed !!! 

[suey]

If I remeber rightly  rubbers (erasers)  are not allowed either...

They give you a clear plastic bag to put your notebook and pencils in, you can go up and down to the search rooms as often as you like - the loos are downstairs    You can take and eat your own sarnies' in the cafe and there are pencil shapeners provided outside the document reading room..  Oh and I think the copying room closes at about 3.30 if you want your copies of documents on the same day, which of course you do!  but you can order them and have them posted to you.
Oh, and take a minute to look in the bookshop 

[casalguidi]

Adding to Graceland's advice, make sure that you read (and print out?) all the research guides that relate to records that you're likely to want to search before you go - will save a lot of time if you know exactly what you are looking for before you get there.

Good luck

Casalguidi

[English Jen]

And change for the photocopy machines .... they can do it for you, but charge extra.  I think you can get a card that you can put money on, maybe someone else will have info on that because I just put change in the machine.

Kind regards
English Jen.

[Boongie Pam]

Hiya,

A while back some of us shared our first time experiences of Kew.

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=15793.0

It may help you to cover all basis.

Best of luck,
Pam