On my recent research trip to Scotland and Ireland, I spent lots of time in various archives and libraries. (Yeah, I managed to fit in some other stuff.... a few pictures here....).
I'm pretty familiar with how such places work ~ and one advantage to traveling in the off-season is that I was often one of very few people at whatever library or archive I had targeted for the day. (Side note: massive kudos to the Borders Archive in Hawick and the Highland Archive in Inverness for amazingly helpful service! And I think the archivist at the Edinburgh City Archives was almost as excited at my find as I was....)
My great grandfather, aged 8 months, and his siblings, in the records of the Edinburgh Poor House, found in the city archives:
But in my travels I also saw many people who were new to researching in person and so didn't get the most out of a visit to an archives or a library as they might have.
Croft near where my great great grandmother was baptised (record found at the Highland Archive):
In no particular order, some ideas to make research visits better ;-)
1) Research the archive or library. Many of wonderful websites with lots of good information. For example, the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland not only has much of their catalog on-line, they have wonderfully helpful guides about what resources might give you what information (seriously ~ if you have any interest in Northern Ireland, go read the information leaflets....). It also lists the collections that have been digitized and can be viewed at home If you are coming from a distance, it's worth spending some time at a library's web site to make sure that it actually might have relevant records.
2) Know what you want to look for. I saw several people with lots of data on their computers, but that may not be the best way to show staff what you already know to have them help you find more. I found that handwriting a pedigree chart and/or a family group sheet for the people I was targeting the night before I went to an archive to be really helpful ~ refreshed my memory about what I already knew and gave me something to easily show to anyone helping me.
View from the train near Inverness:
3) Most archives and research libraries have their own readers' cards ~ you will need to get one to use the collection, so allow time for that administrative side things. Again, a website usually lists what ID is needed to get a reader's card, along with what items can and can't be taken into the research rooms (generally ~ yes to pencils and computers, no to pens and outdoor jackets), whether change is needed for a locker for items you can't take in, and so on.... Also, the copy policy is often outlined ~ some places only allow handwritten notes, others allow digital photography, and some allow some materials to be copied for a fee.
The National Records of Scotland in Edinburgh:
Other tips for getting the most out of a visit to an archive or library?