A Hampshire archivist has told of her fear that the four-centuries-old Broadlands archives could be broken up or sold abroad. Janet Smith, county archivist at the Hampshire Record Office, said that breaking up the material would be “dreadful.”
She added that many of the researchers who use its database often go on to the University of Southampton to follow up their findings with the Broadlands archive. The special collection has been kept by the university for more than 20 years.
The archives are worth about £2.85m and the university has first refusal for the purchase.
You can read more at http://www.thisishampshire.net/news/4737234.Archives_could_be_sold_abroad/.
