The Northumberland County Archives and Museum (NCAM) is gearing up for a historic year and move – but that means changes are coming starting this month.
As preparations to move to their new shared location with the new Golden Plough Lodge long-term care facility get underway, NCAM will be adjusting services effective Feb. 21.
According to the county, NCAM’s last day open to the public in their current location will be Feb. 21, 2025.
“After Feb. 21, NCAM’s non-mandatory archival services, including research assistance and genealogical services, will be temporarily unavailable to allow staff to focus on preparing the collection for the move and setting up their new facility,” explained county officials, in a February update.
In other words, as of Feb. 22, research services and donation assessments will be temporarily unavailable until fall.
As previously reported, the museum will be housed in a new location this fall with the new GPL – offering enhanced programming opportunities, increased access to local historical and cultural collections and state-of-the-art archival conservation equipment to better preserve Northumberland’s history, reiterated county officials.
From an expanded reading room for research, to new programming space – including for exhibitions and community groups – to a processing and conservation lab, and more, the new 203,000-square foot facility on Courthouse Road is anticipated to create the space for lots of opportunities locally.
However, during the move, staff will be tasked with preparing, organizing, cataloguing and ensuring the safe packaging and transportation of more than 530 linear metres of archival materials and hundreds of artifacts, noted staff. During the transition period, staff will also start preparations to open their new location, including setting up the facility and preparing exhibits for the museum space, it was explained.
“This transition period marks an important step toward the opening of our new facility,” said Northumberland County archivist Abigail Miller. “We thank everyone for their understanding as we work behind-the-scenes to get the collection ready for its future home.
“We are very excited to welcome the community to the new space this fall, and we encourage those who are interested in staying up-to-date with our move to please follow our Facebook page @NCAMofficial for updates.”
Officials also noted that any requests for research that are underway as of Feb. 21 will be completed; however, new requests for research help won’t be accepted until NCAM reopens at their spot in the fall.
Meanwhile, essential services, including requests related to government records and FOI requests will continue through the transition.
Residents with questions or concerns about the temporary changes are asked to contact the NCAM team via email ncam@northumberland.ca.
More information about the redevelopment project is also available online.
(Written by: Sarah Hyatt)
