As there are many of them in the UAE and due to the significance of their contents
The National Library and Archives Organizes a Lecture About Private Archives and their Importance.
Based on the significance and the abundance of private archives in the UAE, and their role in documenting historical facts that enrich the nation’s memory, the National Library and Archives (NLA) organized a lecture entitled: “Private Archives: Treasures of Individual Efforts”. The lecture shed light on the importance of archives, their diverse historical documents, their role in preserving crucial historical documents, the possibility of carrying out research on them, easy access to information, as well as the significance of private archives in preserving national identity.
In his lecture, Researcher Mr. Mohammed Al Habsi showcased several private archives he had visited over the course of a decade. He emphasized that these private archives are the result of individual efforts, which often necessitate more attention in accordance with scientific standards. Furthermore, he emphasized that without a defined identity and facilitated access to information, an archive cannot be considered an archive.
The lecture, held at Mohamed Bin Zayed Hall in the NLA, highlighted that a private archive comes in various forms such as personal archive, family archive, and association archive, which are is categorized based on the size of its collection, the location of preservation or organization, and its significance. Additionally, it illustrated different types of archives such as the historical archive, the artistic archive, the literary archive, maps and atlases archive, and the political archive. The lecture emphasized the significant roles of the archivist.
Mr. Al Habsi presented the methods of establishing private archives, affirming that they all originate from the passion of their owners for collecting and preserving documents. He also shed lights on the drawbacks of preserving private archives, such as piling up, unspecialized preservation containers, and wrapping methods that diminish the value of the documents. The primary challenges facing private archives are the natural challenges such as heat, humidity, varying temperatures, rodents, insects, etc.
The lecture, attended by a large number of individuals from the NLA and outside, concluded that the private archives require legislations and regulations, registration and documentation, training courses for their owners, moral and financial support, and digitization. Consequently, Mr. Al Habsi emphasized the crucial role of the NLA in this regard.