Changes

*Previous FIBIS chairman, Peter Bailey, has created an informative slide show [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGZQlMGocPQ ''Advice For Your First Visit to the APAC Reading Rooms'']

The British Library’s [httphttps://wwwelectronicresources.bl.uk/eresourcessfxlcl41/dbstptitlesaz/eresourcesa.html londb Find Electronic resources & journals in our reading roomsResources] indicates that the "''Times of India''—1838-2001", Eighteenth Century Collections Online (ECCO), Eighteenth Century Journals, 19th Century Periodicals , 17th and 18th Century Burney Collection ,the British Newspaper Archive and the Times Digital Archive are some of the databases which may be viewed online in the Library Reading Rooms. Refer [[Subscription websites-online newspapers, journals and directories]] for more details of these databases.

*Read about location, opening times, and many aspects covered in Reader FAQ’s in this [http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/inrrooms/stp/stpancrasrr.html link]. *You may use compact cameras, tablets and mobile phones to photograph '''some''' categories of material but not where preservation or other restrictions apply, see [https://www.bl.uk/help/can-i-take-photographs-of-british-library-material-myself Can I take photographs of British Library material myself?]. There are no camera stands.*There is a 10 document limit for the day. There are no camera standsCheck British Library documentation for current limits, see [https://www.bl.uk/help/how-to-order-items How to order items].

==Obtaining Copies copies of Recordsrecords== '''Certified''' copies of ecclesiastical records, with the seal of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, acceptable for official purposes, can be ordered from the British Library -current cost (20182021, January) is £18 each, with an additional Search fee, if applicable. These contain details from the ecclesiastical registers held in the British Library which are "contemporary copies of registers of baptisms, marriages and burials sent to London for the information of the East India Company and the India Office" The certified copies are transcriptions with data extracted from the ecclesiastical records.  Because of the possibility of error with any transcription, for family history purposes copies of the microfilmed register pages are preferable. Copies can be obtained at no cost by using the microfilm digital copying machines in the reading room which scan to email or memory stick. Hard copies can be obtained cheaply from the microfilm copiers - also in the reading room. Note that sometimes the name of the church may be on a different page to the record you require. The records for a church may extend over several pages and the name of the church usually appears either at the beginning, or possibly at the end of these records, included in the words of certification by the chaplain/minister/priest for that church. [https://www.bl.uk/help/search-the-india-office-records-for-baptisms-marriages-and-burials Search the India Office records for Baptisms Marriages and Burials]. British Library link. '''A great many of these images are now also available on the pay site [[Findmypast|findmypast]]''', which would be the most common option used by those who cannot personally visit the British Library, but . However for ecclesiastical records, where images are not available on findmypastFindmypast due to privacy considerations, unless you have a '''full record reference''' from elsewhere, including page (or folio) number, it is believed you can not possible to order a '''non-certified image ''' in terms of [https://www.bl.uk/digitisation-services/services/ordering-images Ordering images] and ([https://www.bl.uk/digitisation-services/pricing Pricing]) as the Findmypast transcript only provides a partial record reference as it does not include the page (folio) number.If ordering an image online, include '''IOR''' as part of the catalogue description. (Check what is available in the indexed [[FamilySearch]] records, however generally page (or folio) number is '''not''' included.)

:'''Note''': Any original record which some documents cannot be photocopied due to age etc, photographed digitally - eg some european manuscripts - and/or if you have found a reference in [http://searcharchives.bl.uk/primo_library/libweb/action/search.do?dscnt=1&dstmp=1336721805856&vid=IAMS_VU2&fromLogin=true Search our Catalogue Archives and Manuscripts], you will probably would need to use the Library's imaging services to obtain a copy as described in Ordering imagescopies. [http://www.new.fibis.org/research FIBIS Research] is able to provide a transcription '''Note''' some India Office records from the British Library, including most of these the ecclesiastical records, but is unable are available for free on [[FamilySearch]] digitised microfilms - refer [[FamilySearch]] for links to provide a copy of the actual recordsFamilySearch Library catalogue and [[FamilySearch Centres]] for information about viewing digitised microfilms at these Centres, which need to are generally also available at FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries. However, for some researchers, [[FamilySearch Centres]] and/or Affiliate Libraries may not be obtained directly from geographically convenient, or the British Libraryopen hours may be restricted. Most ecclesiastical records are also available as indexed records on FamilySearch.

The British Library can be contacted via the means below. The Library will provide a limited research service and can supply copies of records and documents, particularly, if you have the reference of an item you would like and cannot visit - charges apply. For baptisms, marriages and burials, consider whether you need a certified copy, refer above, as for genealogical purposes, a photocopy of the record may be preferable. [[APAC]] also hold a list of professional researchers familiar with the collections. Please, however, note that, as mentioned above, FIBIS can provide research assistance and copies of documents for FIBIS members unable to visit the Library. Some As stated above, some India Office records from the British Library, including all the ecclesiastical records, are available on [[LDS]] microfilms - refer [[IGI]] for links to the LDS Library catalogue and free at [[Family History FamilySearch Centres]] for information about ordering microfilms, and generally also at FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries.

|E-mail: apac-enquiries@bl.uk. Note however that you will automatically receive an online form to complete, so it is more efficient to compete this initially, as quoted in the link "Asian Resources for the study of South Asia past and African Studies present" below: Contact the [httphttps://www.questionpoint.org/crs/servlet/org.oclc.admin.BuildForm?&institution=13430&type=1&language=1 Ask the Asian & African Studies Reference Team].

*Some British Library online images are only available as images to buy at [https://imagesonline.bl.uk British Library Images onlineOnline]. Some free downloads are also available on this website.