Access
About the Reading Room
Ordering Records
BRAC’s collection can only be accessed in the BRAC Reading Room (first floor of the Bendigo Regional Library) and cannot be removed from this area other than by prior arrangement within PROV’s Loans Policy (see bottom of page).
To view any time on Wednesday or Thursday - order before 3PM Tuesday
To view Wednesday afternoon or Thursday - order before 11AM Wednesday
To view Thursday afternoon - order before 11AM Thursday
NOTE: If units are listed as being stored at the Nolan Street repository in the catalogue table, retrieval may take longer.
HOW TO ORDER: For a step-by-step guide to ordering records through the PROV catalogue, click HERE.
HOW TO GET A PROV ACCOUNT: You will need a PROV account to order records - for a step-by-step guide to setting up your free account, click HERE.
Download a full guide to using BRAC HERE.
Once you have ordered your items, they will be held at the Reading Room for nine days before being re-shelved.
Who can visit the Reading Room?
All people and groups are welcome to visit the staffed Reading Room during Opening Hours but all visitors must sign in on arrival and agree to some simple Conditions of Access for using this space and BRAC records.
How can I get a copy of a record?
You can take non-flash photographs of records with your phone or camera but will need to ensure you provide correct citations where used. For a physical or high resolution copy of a record, submit a Copy Request via the PROV website (a fee may apply. Service does not apply to records located at BRAC; we suggest using a private search agent - see below).
Visit the PROV Copyright page for more information on using materials taken from the PROV collection.
What if I can’t visit the Reading Room in person?
BRAC staff can help you with brief research enquiries (up to 15 minutes) if you are unable to visit the Reading Room in person but may refer you to third party local research agents and groups for more complex requests (who may charge a fee).
You can also appoint a proxy to collect and view records you have ordered – email us in advance with Permission to View information (your account information, who you are giving permission to access records to, and acknowledgment that responsibility for these records remains with you as the account holder for the order).
PROV provides a list of Search Agents on their website which can help with this step.
PROV Collection
Download this quick Guide to ordering records in the PROV catalogue. You will need to create a free account - use this Step-by-Step Guide to help.
The PROV catalogue will allow you to order up to 24 records at any one time across all repositories. You may only be able to access eight (8) items per session (morning and afternoon, depending on demand) and items will generally be brought out one at a time - if you have a preference for the order in which you want to view the records, please make a list for BRAC staff.
BRAC Additional Collection
Refer to the Collections section for more information. To order items in the collection that are not catalogued, note the full details in the Additional Catalogue Order Form then send as an attachment with your details (including PROV user ID) to email to brac@ncgrl.vic.gov.au.
For City of Bendigo Maps & Plans series – requests for items in this series can take up to two weeks to process and must be ordered using the Maps & Plans Order Form for up to 10 items at a time. An email will be issued once the retrieval has been completed and items will be returned to storage within a week of email issue if not viewed.
Access Restrictions
Commonly referred to as closures, restrictions are applied in accordance with the Public Records Act 1973 for various reasons, most commonly being for privacy, security or preservation reasons. The PROV catalogue will always indicate if a record is unavailable by being marked ‘Closed’ or ‘Part Open’.
Depending on the reason for closure, you may still be able to gain information from closed series, though this is not guaranteed and can be time intensive. For information on how to approach closed records, including Freedom of Information requests and an easy to read table, visit the PROV Closure Resource.
Borrowing Items from the Collection
There are certain cases when organisations may be permitted to borrow items from the archives at BRAC – most often for exhibitions. If your gallery, museum, agency or other group wish to enquire about using records from BRAC’s collection please contact us direct or review the Information on Loans on the PROV website.
NOTE: Loan requests take AT LEAST three months to process and approve (six months for large or complex requests) – the earlier you submit your expression of interest, the better!
