Birmingham record office

I visited this record office (central library) some time ago, and
failed to find the information I wanted. It was very different to other
record offices I have used. To begin with nobody checked my CARN card,
or asked me to sign in. There was nobody to offer any help or explain
how things were set out - in fact there was nobody there at all. I had a
limited amount of time before needing to get the train home, and
information did not seem to be set out in a logical way.
I believe records are on two floors, and I only had time to visit one -
the first one. Can someone familiar with this office tell me if I would
be more likely to find information on the top floor? I still need
information from there, but don't want another wasted journey.

Charani...

Not all record offices use the CARN card system but I would have
thought that Birmingham would have done.

Hugh Watkins knows that record office well, I believe, so he'd be the
one who could best advise you. However, if the holdings are split on
two floors, what sort of information were you looking for? It'll help
Hugh to help you.

Jo

Hugh Watkins...

Jo...

Well at least the weather is favourable for geese and ducks!
Jo

LOL

you have to climb a spiral staircase to the sixth (left over from the
old victorian library stacks I believe)

then you deposit your bags sign in etc

what you found was the Family History collection on fifth which has the
St Kaths fiche in Local Studies near the lift and then past the maps
a massive collection of local census parish register etc

there are a useful mss card index or two

local study collection is very significant
annual reports from orphanages with names for example

Hugh W

daily blogs with new photos

family history

Jo...

Thank you. Next time I go I will make sure I have more time, so I can
visit both floors. The other problem with the unattended area was that
some stuff was clearly missing or damaged. A consequence of being
unattended I suppose.
Jo

Hugh Watkins...

I am going there tomorrow

what are you loking for?

Hugh W

Jo...

Unfortunately I am looking for what seems to be one of the most common
names in Birmingham - Whitehouse. My G Grandfather was William
Whitehouse, born in Birmingham in 1850. I want to know who his mother
was.His father's marriage(s) are a little unclear.His father was Ephraim
Whitehouse, a hairdresser of Congreve Street Birmingham.
If you have time to look for this I would be most grateful. I am very
wary of asking after recent posts!

Charani...

Ignore the recent posts :)) If you need help and you don't have
access to the sources and someone else does and they don't mind
looking, they'll look. Nobody *has* to do anything, as my husband
keeps telling my dau :))

'Sides, you didn't ask, Hugh offered :))

http://hughw36.blogspot.com