AN ARCHIVIST suspended after speaking against plans to relocate York's historic records has gained support from the woman responsible for instigating the prestigious Minster library extension.

Rita Freedman was disciplined after she wrote to councillors expressing concern over plans to move the city archives to a new library proposed for the University of York.

Her plight has prompted the support of Sarah Costley, a professional archivist who started the Minster's Heritage Lottery Fund application which led to the building of the library extension.

Mrs Costley has written to City of York Council's chief executive David Clark and Executive member for leisure services Alan Jones asking them to reconsider the suspension - and the proposal to move the archives.

She said: "This service has been unstintingly furnished for the council, whose records she has taken, stored and ultimately selected for preservation, painstakingly weeded and listed while ensuring that they are always available to departmental staff.

"The city archives are currently well placed for anyone visiting York. Heslington is a long way out of town.

"I know that Mrs Freedman is exceptional in her exposition of the archives in her care, making them accessible to the widest range of the users. The city archives quite patently belong to the people of the city. University archives, on the other hand, are very sparsely visited by non-academics and non-professionals.

"Please do not underestimate the effect of the loss of the office and the records on the intellectual and cultural life of this region. It would be very considerable."

Mrs Freedman revealed to councillors that priceless documents recording York's past could be moved from the city archives to the proposed £7.3 million extension to the university's library.

Charlie Croft, head of York Leisure Office, said: "We are still investigating this and hope to bring it to a swift conclusion."

adam.nichols@ycp.co.uk