From June 8 to 14, the International Archives Week promoted by the International Council on Archives (ICA). This year the slogan of the campaign is “Empower knowledge societies” and one of the objectives is to tell the world what is the role of archives in these societies and how they can guarantee the benefit of citizens
In previous years, in the Palencia Provincial Historical Archive, the Board organized open house days in which the work being carried out was explained while the entrails of the building located on Niños de Coro street were shown. The pandemic forces this year to rethink the way to convey those ICA objectives to Palencia society.
The misfortune generated by the coronavirus, which the archives are already collecting among their funds, has modified the way of acting, in all areas. Until now, basic services have been maintained in the AHP of Palencia since they have not stopped receiving very varied inquiries (about justice, cadastre, protocols, etc.) that have been resolved by giving priority to telephone and telematic attention, as demonstrated by the 243 Units consulted since the lockdown began on March 13.
From this Monday, June 8 The stay in the consultation room is allowed for all researchers who need to consult the funds, although logically and to comply with sanitary measures, the center’s rules have changed.
It is mandatory to request an appointment and attend to the following: while phase II lasts, only two people are allowed in the room at a time, so two-hour shifts will be established for each researcher who requests it (979 74 65 33; file .palencia @ jcyl.es); the hours will be from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday. Logically, care measures will be taken to the extreme, so it is requested to enter with a mask, frequent hand washing and a distance of 2 meters from staff and other users. To help in this aspect, the AHP has protective screens and a sufficient supply of hydroalcoholic gel. For prevention, the use of the bathrooms or leaving the building will not be allowed. Likewise, the documentation must keep a ten-day quarantine, so it is advised that the consultations to be carried out are well planned.
All of the above will not prevent us from celebrating International Archives Week as it deserves. In this new scenario, they will be searched at their homes, computers or phones. Three videos of three minutes each have been prepared in which some curiosities of the AHP of Palencia are explained, about its funds, collections and photographs and, in some cases, the videos show a new point of view about the archive and about the utilities specific of our archives for the archives. They will be available on the Castilla y León archives website https://archivoscastillayleon.jcyl.es/web/jcyl/ArchivosCastillaYLeon/es/Plantilla100Detalle/1253861401355/Noticia/1284958560100/Comunicacion?plantillaObligatoria=17PlantillaHomeArchiveServiceNoticia Archives of the Junta de Castilla y León https://www.facebook.com/infoarchivos where one will be uploaded a day.
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