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Remote Services

We continue to process reproduction orders, permission forms, FOI requests, requests for documents required for court/legal purposes and specific requests for copies of archival material. We are unable to respond to written requests for general research received either by fax, mail or email.

If you have a different type of comment or inquiry then:

• See also: General Web Site Comments and Suggestions
                 (send us a note about this web site, no reply required)
• See also: Specific Web Site Technical Inquiries
                 (reply requested)

Alternatively, if you wish to consider hiring private research assistance, please consult the Independent Research Agent Register.

Frequently Asked Questions

Please Note: If you have not already done so, please review the Services page, and check our list of Frequently Asked Questions to see if your inquiry can be answered directly.

Types of Questions That We Do Not Answer

The Archivists and Technicians on staff respond to many thousands of inquiries each year. Please keep in mind that we can not undertake broad-based research inquiries.

Our holdings relate primarily to the Province of British Columbia.  We do not hold census or vital event records for areas outside the Province.

Types of Questions That We Can Assist With

The British Columbia Archives offers the following services for remote enquiries. We will process reproduction orders, permission forms, FOI requests, requests for documents required for court/legal purposes and specific requests for copies of archival material.

How We Handle Inquiries

The BC Archives receives inquiries by conventional mail, fax, and electronic form and email. Each request is numbered to ensure fair and equitable service delivery. In the case of email, the initial response is an automatic reply to acknowledge receipt of your inquiry.

Please allow up to twenty working days for this reply (email is not given priority treatment). If you are planning a visit or have a time-sensitive project, please keep this in mind.

Requests for off-site records retrieval and/or locker service cannot be submitted electronically. Such requests should be submitted in person, by phone or fax.

If you require additional research assistance, please consult the Independent Research Agent List. This register lists research agents available for contracted services in the area of independent research. Listing in this register does not constitute accreditation by the BC Archives. Any agreement for research must be between the patron and the search agent solely.

Please note that our government records holdings are subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act which may require a formal request. See also: Archival Records - Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy.

To allow us to process your request, please ensure that:

• General reference inquiries contain sufficient detail to allow us to clearly identify the records you are requesting.
• Specific inquiries about on-line material contain the call number citation (e.g. GR-1234, box 1, folder 2, or B12345, or MS-1234, volume 1, etc.) and a brief description of the specific records.

Electronic Form for Access and Research Inquiries

Important Note About Email and Conventional Mail Addresses

A number of inquiries have been received from users with invalid email or conventional mail addresses. We are unable to respond to these requests unless a complete address information is entered in the form below.

A valid Internet email address should consist of both your email user name, and the machine on which you have a working email account (this may not necessarily be the same machine or Internet IP address from which you are accessing this service). Valid email addresses are typically in the form of: your.name@somemachine.someplace.somewhere

Please check with your systems administrator or service provider if you are unsure of your email address. Otherwise try contacting us via conventional contact points (telephone, fax or mail).

Conventional mailing address information should include: number, street, city, province/state (or other region), country, and postal code.

Email Inquiries

Alternatively, we will accept an email inquiry related to holdings, specific records, or requests for copies submitted directly to access@www.bcarchives.gov.bc.ca. However, please review the section on Important Note about Email Addresses, and ensure that your inquiry lists all relevant information (including your conventional mailing address), needed for us to clearly answer your inquiry and contact you in return.

Please use our General Comments and Suggestions Form for general feedback about this web site or the Technical Inquiry Form for specific inquiries about this system that require a reply.

Other Contact Methods

See Location and Contacts for conventional mail and fax addresses.

Inquiries:	Inquiries related to archival holdings, specific records, access, research, or reproduction orders may be submitted via electronic form or Email, as well as by mail or fax.
Home Page:	http://www.bcarchives.gov.bc.ca	This Page:	http://www.bcarchives.gov.bc.ca/services/inquiry/accescom.htm
Last Modified:	Monday, 11-Apr-2005 07:28:56 PDT	Maintained by:	webmaster@www.bcarchives.gov.bc.ca
Copyright:	Information on this site is provided for research purposes only. Please review Access and Usage.  Unless indicated otherwise, this page and all contents are Copyright ©, BC Archives, Royal BC Museum.
Records Classification: This site is classified and scheduled under ORCS 15100-25