Archives Department
The Archives Department collects administrative records, historical documents and manuscripts related to the UAE and other GCC countries from various sources such as government entities and international Library and Archives. The Department validates, preserves, archives the material collected, and makes them accessible to the public. Furthermore, the department collects old and contemporary photographs and archives them as per international standards.
Historical Archives
This section collects all foreign documents relating to the UAE and the Gulf region from International Library and Archives around the world. It also chronicles daily events and activities in the UAE, GCC countries, as well as Iran from local and other Arabian Gulf newspapers. Hard-copy documents are then scanned and indexed for easier and faster retrieval and accessibility to researchers, scholars and students. This section consists of three units: Arab Archives, Foreign Archives and Multimedia.
Government Archives
This section organizes federal and local government authorities’ archives by publicizing archival culture and providing a number of technical, training and consultation services in accordance with the Federal Law No. 7 of 2008 and its bylaws. This assists parties, concerned in document and archive management in government bodies, to perform their duties effectively and according to best international standards and specifications in archive preservation. This section is also engaged in collecting historical documents from government bodies and organizing destruction procedures. The section is made up of the following units: Government Archives Regulation Unit, Government Archives Development Unit and Archiving and Documenting Unit.
This section collects all historical documents pertaining to the UAE from federal and local government institutions in the country then it indexes, audits and publishes them as per international regulations and standards. The documents are then made accessible to scholars and researchers. The section also establishes rules and procedures for the collection of documents and the different records management mechanisms in government Institutions. It trains National Library and Archives staff members as well as clients to archive their documents and records according to best practices. Additionally, the department is in charge of arranging and developing governmental archives as well as the documentation and archiving affairs.
Preservation And Restoration
The duties of this section include: protecting, securing and maintaining all types of hard-copy historical documents and restoring old documents, newspapers, rare books and photographs following the best international standards and practices. This section works, with the collaboration of different Authorities, on environment preservation by using environment friendly materials.
The section examines the National Library and Archives collections periodically to inspect their conditions, and sets preventive measures to ensure their safety and repair all damages.
Digital Archives
This section conducts scanning projects and the conversion of archival materials into digital or microfilm format as per the National Library and Archives approved plans and policies. It also improves the preservation of electronic archives and selects the appropriate storing materials for both the National Library and Archives and government Institutions. Furthermore, it contributes to setting preventive and corrective measures for long-term conservation of electronic storing materials. Moreover, it contributes to awareness campaigns and closely monitors developments in the field of electronic archiving. Besides, it assists government bodies in the evaluation of their electronic programs.
Presidential Archives
This section contains photos, videos and historical documents that document the march of the Late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan and the activities of H.H. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, at the local, regional, Arab and international levels, as well as historical photographs and photos of senior community figures in general.
The section retains UAE’s maps; as it indexes photographs and paper and electronic maps and classifies them practically according to global standards and international measures related to photographs organization, classification, preservation and protection as well as promoting their use. The section has two units: Presidential Documents Unit and the Multimedia Unit.
