National Archives Trip
Who are they?
The National Archives of Singapore (NAS) is an institution (established by an act of parliament in 1968) that safe keeps all records (paper, audio and video records) of the nation’s happenings. NAS has moved beyond its traditional roles as record keeper of the nation as they constantly educate the public by having exhibitions and guided tours.
What do they do?
NAS’s primary job is to preserve priceless documentation of Singapore’s history and past events. Paper based items such as books, maps and blueprints are meticulously restored through various processes to retain its originality and stored in a vault for future references. Their secondary job is to educate the public by having exhibitions, guided tours and talks at schools and institutions.
What type of services do they provide?
Records Management and Preservation: Vital records are scanned and output onto microfilm for preservation in climate-controlled conditions. Records with intrinsic value are carefully conserved.
Providing Access: The value of archives lies in their continuing relevance to people who need them to understand the past, write research papers, as evidence of rights and obligations, or simply as creative inspiration.
Sharing Knowledge: In addition to our core work in protecting and preserving its archives, NAS shares expertise with the community through consultation and training. We run regular seminars on using archival resources, records management and oral history methodology. In partnership with our local universities, NAS provides internships and courses on archives and records management. We also conduct guided tours of NAS to educate the public on the nuts and bolts of archival work.
Archive Conservation Services: Archives Conservation Lab provides professional conservation services for paper records such as anoxic treatment, de-acidification, leafcasting, mechanical cleaning, manual repair, tissue mounting, encapsulation and high value (rare) book binding using archival method.
[Pictures of the trip to be posted]
