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Service Information –
PROV Reading Room Service Charter
Assistant Director’s statement
Public Record Office Victoria (PROV) is committed to providing
modern, well-equipped and resource-rich client-facing services at its locations
in North Melbourne and Ballarat. This Service Charter supports that commitment
by providing clarity and guidance for PROV staff and clients on the range of
services that we provide. It explains those services and also outlines
how a researcher or other client can maximise the usefulness of a visit to a
PROV Reading Room via prior preparation.
By following this Charter we aim to deliver a consistent,
excellent service to support all clients in the enjoyment of their research
experience.
Graeme Hairsine
Assistant Director, Access
Services
This charter applies to public and government agency visitors to
Public Record Office Victoria’s Reading Rooms.
Staff who work in the Reading Rooms are principally from the
Access Services and Community Archives teams. However, staff from other areas
within PROV regularly work in the Reading Rooms.
Our Vision:
Public Records, Publicly Available.
Our Mission:
To support the efficient management and use of public records in
order that the Government is accountable to the community and the historical
memory of the Victorian Government is secure and accessible.
Our Commitment to You:
We are committed to providing a quality service to our
researchers. We will endeavour to provide access to the collection and services
of PROV efficiently and with courtesy.
What we can do for you:
·
Explain our
services and collection to you.
·
Provide
research resources to help you identify records which may be relevant to your
research. We aim to make these tools available on our web site.
·
Provide
advice on using these research tools to access the collection.
·
Explain what
records can and cannot be made available in accordance with the Public Records
Act 1973.
·
Provide
copies of records within PROV service delivery timelines and at advertised
prices.
·
Deliver
records ordered for viewing.
Some things we are unable to do for you:
·
We are
unable to undertake your research for you either within the Reading Room or in
response to written or phone requests. We can provide you with contact details
of independent search agents who can do research on your behalf for a fee.
·
We are
unable to interpret the meaning of records for you.
·
We are
unable to provide legal advice about the records or about any other matter.
·
We are unable
to provide training in basic computer skills.
Public records shall be made available for inspection subject to
the restrictions and limitations imposed by the Public Records Act 1973.
Research Activities
We will:
·
Endeavour to
provide access to the collection and services of Public Record Office Victoria
(PROV) efficiently and with courtesy
·
Explain our
services and collection to you in a friendly and helpful manner
·
Provide
research resources to help you identify records which may be relevant to your
research and make this tools available on our website
·
Provide
advice on using our research tools and resources to access the collection
·
Demonstrate
the use of PROV’s website to access PROV information
·
Demonstrate
and provide advice on using microform equipment and our in-house digital camera
service
Timeliness
We will:
·
Deliver
records that have been ordered for viewing in the Reading Room within PROV
service delivery timelines
·
Provide
copies of records within PROV service delivery timelines
·
Issue and
return records in the Reading Room in a timely manner
People with Special Needs
We aim to meet the special needs of visitors to our reading rooms.
If you have a disability or have other special needs, you are welcome to
contact us before your visit in order to discuss how we can best accommodate
you.
We encourage feedback about our services and will use it to review
and enhance our services and inform future planning.
In our monthly section reports we measure researcher satisfaction
based on feedback and complaints received and we measure service delivery
outputs based on specified timeframes. We also conduct periodic reading room
surveys.
We report on feedback received and results of our surveys in our
section reports and in the PROV Annual Report. We also report our key
performance statistics through the Department of Premier and Cabinet and these
are published annually with the Treasury Budget Papers.
Research can be a long process and you may not be able to find
immediate answers to your research questions.
In order to make the most of your visit:
·
Check
PROV’s website, catalogue, online research resources and the PROVwiki to
determine if the information you seek is available online and to better prepare
you for undertaking your research.
·
Make the
most of your contact or visit with us by doing basic background research about
your topic beforehand.
·
If you are
planning on viewing original records, pre-order them via PROV’s website
before you visit to ensure they are waiting for your arrival.
·
If you have
access to a digital camera, bring it along to make copies of records in
accordance with PROV policy/procedure and providing that you meet the
conditions of the Copyright Act (1968).
·
It would be
an advantage to have basic computer skills before attending our reading rooms,
as very limited research can be undertaken without these skills. PROV staff can
only provide limited assistance in this area.
In order to help us to help you, please:
·
Familiarise
yourself with, and abide by, the Terms and Conditions of entry to PROV Reading
Rooms.
·
Treat all
PROV staff and other researchers with courtesy.
·
Handle all
records in our collection with great care to help preserve this rich and
irreplaceable resource for future generations.
·
Acknowledge
PROV and cite the complete reference for records used in your work.
Feedback:
PROV welcomes your feedback and will use it and other feedback to
enhance our services and inform future planning.
You can contact us by mail: PO Box 2100, North Melbourne, VIC,
3051; by email at enquiries@prov.vic.gov.au or online at www.prov.vic.gov.au.
Copyright notice
© State of Victoria 2010
This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the
Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced through any process without prior
written permission from the publisher. Enquiries should be directed to, Public
Record Office Victoria, PO Box 2100, North Melbourne, Victoria 3051 or email: enquiries@prov.vic.gov.au
Disclaimer
This electronic version is for information purposes only and is
not the official or authorised version. The State of Victoria gives no warranty
that the information in this version is correct or complete, error free or
contains no omissions. The State of Victoria shall not be liable for any loss
howsoever caused whether due to negligence or otherwise arising from the use of
this Service Charter.