Ordering a document

Document ordering electronic display board telling visitors when the documents they have ordered can be collected in the reading room.

Why do I need to order documents?

Archives are unique and irreplaceable. As such, they cannot be made available on the open shelves in the same way as library books, nor can they be borrowed. Archives are stored in strongrooms under special environmental conditions and must be ordered should you want to view them.

How many documents can I order a time?

You can order up to five documents at a time.

How do I find the reference number I need?

Each archive in PRONI is given a main archive reference number. However, as an archive can contain anything from a single document to many thousands of documents, it is not possible to order a whole archive at once.

Every individual document held by PRONI has a unique reference number. This is the number you must use to order documents.

Before ordering a document you should:

Identify the archive you are interested in using the guides and indexes – these will give you the main archive reference number.
Browse through the catalogue for that archive; identify the document/s you would like to see and note their unique reference numbers.

How do I use the computerised document ordering system?

To order documents in PRONI, you must be:

Registered as a visitor in PRONI
Logged on to the computerised ordering system (you will be logged on at reception when you arrive and register/present your visitor pass)

Documents must be ordered on the computerised ordering system at the terminals in the search room.

Enter the unique reference number for the document you wish to see.
Enter your visitor number.
Submit your order.

When should I use the manual document ordering system?

When ordering certain archives

Some archives can only be ordered using the manual ordering system, for example, Wills and the documents in the Land Registry archive.

Ordering a Will: To order a will you need to record the following information on the manual docket:

the name of the deceased person
the date (day, month and year) of probate or the date of grant of letters of administration
the place of probate or grant of letters of administration

If you are unsure whether an archive can be ordered using the computerised system, please ask a member of PRONI staff who will be happy to advise you.

When using the self-service microfilm reading room

To order a microfilm or a microfiche in the self-service microfilm room, complete a manual docket, including:

the date
your visitor number
the PRONI reference number for the microfiche or microfilm

You should hand the requisition form to the member of staff on duty and only then should you remove the microfilm from the cabinets.

Microfiche must be retrieved for you by staff.

On some occasions the computerised system may not accept your order, in which case you should:

Check with a member of staff to confirm that:

you have entered the reference number correctly
the reference number itself is correct

Only when the computer order is not accepted by a member of staff should you fill a manual docket. This must include:

the date
your visitor number
the unique reference number for the document you wish to see

The manual docket should be approved by a member of staff and left at the issue desk in the reading room, where a member of staff will allocate you a table number (if you haven’t already got one through the computerised ordering system).

Otherwise, all archives must be ordered using the computerised system.

What happens once I have placed my order?

When you place an order, you will automatically be allocated a table in the reading room.

The documents you have ordered are then brought from the strongrooms. When your documents are ready, you will be notified via the electronic notice board in the search room. You can then collect them from the issue desk in the reading room.

How long will I have to wait for the document/s to be produced?

As part of PRONI’s standard of service, we aim to produce the majority of documents ordered within 30 minutes of an order being placed, provided they are stored onsite.

In preparation for our move to the new record office in summer 2010, a number of our collections are no longer being held in the Balmoral Avenue building.

In the summer of 2007, PRONI staff carried out an exercise to judge the frequency with which our collections were ordered out by customers. Those that were deemed to be less popular have been removed to a secure off-site storage facility.

However, this does not mean that the records are no longer available but you will have to wait until they have been retrieved from the off-site store. A member of the PRONI staff will advise you if the record(s) that you wish to view are not held in Balmoral Avenue.

In normal circumstances orders will be processed on a Monday morning and available on the Thursday.

If you are travelling to PRONI from overseas and know what you wish to see, we would advise that you contact the staff in our Public Search Room in advance to check on the availability and whereabouts of the record(s). This should enable us to retrieve the records in time for your visit.

When might I not be able to order a document?

There are some documents and files that you may not be permitted to order because that document is closed to the public. Documents may be closed for various reasons, for example, a document may be too fragile to handle or may contain sensitive information about a living individual.

In some instances it may be possible to access some or all of the information contained in a closed document - see a record I want to see is closed for further information.

Preparation work has begun for PRONIs move to new accommodation in the Titanic Quarter, Belfast.

To facilitate these preparations we will be closing two stores at a time for a minimum period of one month. During these periods of closure, both staff and the public will not have access to documents in the closed stores, so we will be unable to produce some records.

The closures will also have an impact on the delivery of the enquiry/search service.

The work is being scheduled now to help us to maintain a level of service throughout the period of transition to the new building and, through careful planning, it is hoped that a complete closure of PRONI may not be required at a later stage.

We appreciate your patience during this essential preparation time. For information on the availability of particular records please contact us at by completing an online enquiry form.

What do I do with the documents once I’ve finished using them?

All documents must be returned to the member of staff on duty at the issue desk in the reading room before you leave.