Main public areas
The main public areas in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) are outlined below, indicating locations and what can be accessed where.
- Reception
- Search room
- Reading room
- Self-service microfilm room
- Lecture room
- Canteen
- Toilets
- PRONI floorplan
For further information on using PRONI and what you can and cannot do, see our dos and don’ts section.
What can I do here?
Search room
Where is it located?
On the first floor. Turn right at the top of the stairs, or left as you exit the elevator.
What will I find in this area?
- PRONI help desk
- printed copies of PRONI leaflets
- guides and indexes
- document ordering computers
- electronic allocation screens (this tells you when the documents you have ordered are ready for collection and what table to use in the reading room).
- selected internet site access computers
- Northern Ireland Screen digital film archive
- access to the Centre for Migration Studies Emigration Database website
- some printed sources (e.g. Street directories and Griffith’s valuation)
- Self-service microfilm facility with 22 microfilm readers.
- Two self-service microfilm printers
What can I do here?
- Consult PRONI staff regarding your research
- Research and identify the documents you wish to view
- Order documents
- Consult documents on microfilm/microfiche and make copies using the microfilm printers.
The search room is usually the first stop for newly registered visitors. A member of staff will speak with you and help you begin your research.
Here, you can consult PRONI’s catalogue, guides, indexes and leaflets in order to identify the documents you would like to see.
You can also discuss your research with staff or other researchers. If you have any questions or problems, you can speak to a member of staff at the help desk.
Is this a silent area?
It is not a silent area, however we would ask that customers respect the needs of other researchers and keep noise to a minimum.
Reading room
Where is it located?
On the first floor of the building. Turn left at the top of the stairs or straight ahead as you exit the elevator.
What will I find in this area?
- PRONI issue desk (where you collect and return the documents you have ordered)
- Numbered tables – when you order a document in the search room you will automatically be allocated a table in the reading roo.
- Self-service camera scanner
What can I do here?
- Consult the actual documents held by PRONI
- Make notes from the documents (in pencil or on a laptop – ink and biro pens are not permitted in the reading room)
- Make copies using the self-service camera scanner. Copy cards are available from the collection point
The reading room is where the documents you have ordered in the public search room can be viewed.
Documents issued must not be removed from the reading room (except by a member of staff) under any circumstances.
Is this a silent area?
The reading room is divided into a quiet and a not-so-quiet area. You should avoid holding a conversation in the quiet area. You may hold a conversation in the not-so-quiet area but we ask that you respect the needs of other researchers and keep noise to a minimum.
What can I do in this area?
- Attend talks and lectures organised by PRONI or other organisations.
PRONI Cafe opening hours
Monday-Wednesday & Friday8.30am - 4pm
Tea, coffee, scones and danish pastries available throughout the day
10am-11am - Cooked breakfasts
12pm-1.45pm - Lunch menu
Thursday
8.30am - 4pm & 4.30pm-7pm
Tea, coffee, scones and danish pastries available throughout the day
10am-11am - Cooked breakfasts
12pm-1.45pm - Lunch menu
4.30-5.30 - Evening hot food menu
Soup, sandwiches or hot food from the Evening menu can be pre-ordered earlier in the day.
Free WiFi also available.'
- A disabled toilet is located in the reception area of the main building
- Male and female toilets are located in the search room
