Thank you for the update. Debra. Glad you got what you needed. All the best with your research. Regards, Carolina
Sent from my iPhone > On 7 Jan 2026, at 15:11, Debra Nicholson <[email protected]> wrote: > > Dear all, I wanted to give an update on my research experience at the Goa > Archives. > > The archives have indeed moved to the Chimbel/ Ribander area in a big > building in the middle of nowhere (on the highway to Old Goa, I was told) > called the Alcon House. The archive research room is on the 5th floor on the > right-hand side of the building and the library is on the left side of the > building using a separate elevator to the 3rd floor. > > I found the conditions in the scholar research room to be very difficult. > There was a big picture window (with a beautiful view) but no open windows, > only fans. The temperature increased dramatically as the day wore on as the > sun shone directly through the window. Some people didn’t mind the heat, but > I found it unbearable. > > I eventually was able to move into the main room which was cooler but much > noisier. But since I don’t understand Konkani, it didn’t really bother me. > > The archive closes from 1:00 - 2:15 for lunch; scholars can work until 4:45 > or 5:00. > > I was looking at Monsoon Books and Cartas e Ordens from around 1798 to 1816. > I am sorry to say many of the documents were mostly in a very degraded and > disintegrating condition which made me very sad that they had not been > conserved, or digitized, and I was grieved at the history being lost. > > The staff, however, was amazing. I was able to get all requested materials in > a timely manner and the scanning guy heroically scanned all my requests > before I planned to leave Goa. The scans cost foreigners Rs. 40 each (not > cheap if having a lot scanned…) > > Then, I went over to the library. I of course filled out a registration form > where I listed my topic, and the librarian pulled out some resources for me. > One of those turned out to be an old journal (Purabhilekh Puratatva) which > had some of the Monsoon letters transcribed in Portuguese with an English > summary below! I was ecstatic! > > The librarian said it was a government publication so she checked with the > bookshop to see if there were any copies. There were—one of which they gave > to me, complimentary! > > Then, I had the idea that other journal volumes might have more > transcriptions—so she pulled out all of them plus an index. Turns out four > more volumes had transcriptions and two of them were available, > complimentary, from the bookshop, and the library’s scanning guy stayed a bit > later than he planned to, to scan the items from the other two. This was on > New Year’s Eve, mind you. > > I don’t know all the people or gods who greased the wheels for me but I had > an overall excellent experience at the Goa Archives. I hope you will as well. > (Frederick was one; another who would probably like to remain anonymous.) I > thank them all, known and unknown. > > Happy New Year! Happy researching! > > Cheers, Debra > > Debra K. Nicholson, MFA, MA > www.debranicholson.com > alternate email: [email protected] > > Sent from my iPhone > >>> On Nov 15, 2025, at 12:29 PM, Glenis Mendonca <[email protected]> >>> wrote: >>> >> >> Dear Debra >> >> The Goa Archives have shifted their base to Ribander. I have recently gone >> there and I was told that their library too is shifted there. They do not >> allow any usage of mobiles, nor photographs while inside the building. The >> place is in the Alcon building, above the Merc showroom on the main road >> going to Old Goa. >> >> Best wishes >> >> Glenis Mendonca >> >>> On Thu, Nov 13, 2025 at 3:01 PM 'carolina costa' via Goa-Research-Net >>> <[email protected]> wrote: >>> Hello Debra, >>> I was in Goa last year in May and the Archives were still in the old >>> location in Panjim. I believe they have different locations for the >>> different types of documents available which there are many in Portuguese. >>> Have you tried to contact Frederick Noronha? He is quite knowledgeable and >>> very helpful. >>> Telephone and emails are not a good option. From my experience, nobody >>> replies. >>> All the best. >>> Regards, >>> Carolina >>> >>> Sent from my iPhone >>> >>> > On 11 Nov 2025, at 13:53, Debra Nicholson <[email protected]> >>> > wrote: >>> > >>> > Can anyone please inform me the recent location and access availability >>> > of the Goa Archives? Their website indicates they’ve moved to Ribander >>> > but did they move their records as well as their library? Their phone >>> > numbers are switched off so I’m unable to get info from them directly >>> > (and they never answer emails). Any info would be greatly appreciated. >>> > Thanks. >>> > >>> > Debra K. Nicholson, MFA, MA >>> > www.debranicholson.com >>> > alternate email: [email protected] >>> > >>> > Sent from my iPhone >>> > >>> > -- >>> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> > "Goa-Research-Net" group. >>> > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >>> > email to [email protected]. >>> > To view this discussion, visit >>> > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/8B1B2839-2A5E-4221-B522-EC24EDA176A0%40gmail.com. >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "Goa-Research-Net" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >>> email to [email protected]. >>> To view this discussion, visit >>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/DCEA3DA6-2D37-45DF-84F4-7124BBF57DB4%40yahoo.com. >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "Goa-Research-Net" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> To view this discussion, visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/CA%2BZJi_bfjOG1MkzAzRbo_c96wBY9hHOuJ7bK14sYvOJ8mw9qWg%40mail.gmail.com. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Goa-Research-Net" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/3F3FF78C-BBCE-41D7-B965-81AC5FB052CD%40gmail.com. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Goa-Research-Net" group. 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