Record breakers

A new web site for the Public Record Office (PRO), the national archives, will contain the beginnings of one of the largest online archive catalogues in the world. By the year 2001 it should contain up to 30 million entries.

The website will be launched on March at www.pro.gov.uk. The web site is a key part of the PRO's Archives Direct 2001 programme. The service will include a full online catalogue to the PRO's 100 miles of records; online enquiry and education services; advanced document ordering for researchers; secure mail order for PRO publications and its image library; and a virtual museum containing digitised images of some of the nation's most famous documents.