At least 15 people have talked to The Royal Gazette about their experiences — some of which are good, but the majority bad.

Here is a sample of what they told us:

• "I don't use it anymore because I was made to feel uncomfortable. As a taxpayer, I'm outraged that material is being withheld in that sort of manner. As a taxpayer, it actually is our property." — Unnamed source.

• "I think it's a generally known fact among people in the publishing business that it's not easy to get material. It's just difficult. Everybody is always on deadline and it's not something that can be done easily or rapidly." — Unnamed source.

• "There is a file an inch-and-a-half thick of complaints. This goes back 15 or 20 years. There is a disproportionately high rate of turnover for staff. Research is stymied and it is random in its access policy. The director (Karla Hayward) calls it 'my archives'. She sees it as her own." — Unnamed source.

• "Things that were here, at the Aquarium, did go to the Archives for safekeeping. Whenever we requested to have access, we have never had any problems. I just can't remember anything that wasn't as it should be." — Dr. Wolfgang Sterrer, from Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo.

• "I know that some of my colleagues have experienced a great deal of angst and frustration." — Unnamed overseas professor.

• "Apart from the lack of a publicly-accessible database, I have no very serious complaints on this issue. I have used the facility quite a lot, dealing mostly with Karla, and generally I have found her and her staff pleasant and obliging. Having said that, it is not altogether the most reliable operation in the world." — Unnamed researcher.

• "I don't really use the Archives. A lot of people have given up as well as far as I understand because it's too difficult and unpleasant. These are supposed to be public records. It's difficult to get access. I receive reports all the time about problems there." — Unnamed source.

• "If anyone plans to do any research in Bermuda or if they have students assisting on their research team, the way that Karla has the Archives set up, she can make their lives difficult or impossible. There is a degree of power that she exercises over whether or not your research is successful." — Dr. Tim Trussell, Millersville University, Pennsylvania.

• "It's $100 for an image. That's prohibitive. We have got this little band of scholars doing stuff on Bermudian culture and history. It doesn't make people money but it keeps the culture alive. Putting up these roadblocks (to access) is completely unnecessary." — Unnamed source.

• "I have seen Karla even obstruct Ministers. She tries to charge Ministers. I left because I was tired of being belittled and harassed. I was having so many problems with her I left. I was a wreck." — Former Archives employee.

• "The moment you go in there you pick up a kind of chilliness to the client, a sense that this is their material. Karla sets the tone. They are reluctant to let you have it. I have used archives all over the world and I have never encountered one that's treated in such a control freak manner. I'm reluctant to go there because of the frostiness." — Unnamed overseas academic.

• "Ms Hayward gives more access to people she likes and less to others. I have also heard her berate an employee in front of me. I think Ms Hayward needs a very large reminder that the public does not work for her, that she works for us, and we are really unhappy about it." — Unnamed source.