Jim,
With all due respect, folk music archives in Ireland and Scotland are reasonably well funded and valued by their governments and a larger percentage of the population than in England. As has already been stated the EFDSS is largely and traditionally funded by its membership. The current managers have done wonders in obtaining the unprecedented funding in the last two years and much of that funding has gone on placing song archive material on the internet and funding education projects around the country, not just in London. (Take 6)

I for one visit the VWML regularly and often meet people there with a common interest, and I live in Hull. The Roud index is online. Take 6 is on line. No doubt more will be as and when funding becomes available. The EFDSS publish books of folksongs taken from these archives. I'd love to live next door to the BL, but I'm happy it is in London and even more accessible than the VWML, though I could easily walk from one to the other though Regents Park.