
The National Library and Archives celebrates International Archives Day and spreads awareness of the importance of digital records and data preservation sustainability.
The National Library and Archives celebrates International Archives Day and spreads awareness of the importance of digital records and data preservation sustainability.
It organized a lecture on enabling digital government along with two photo and technologies exhibitions.
In celebration of international Archives Day, the National Library and Archives organized various events reflecting its strategic and national role in collecting the memory of the nation, to allow researchers access to it, and preserve it for future generations, stressing the importance of preserving the digital governments’ archives, when the world is witnessing accelerated digital transformation reflected through the digital government services, tools and strategies.
The National Library and Archives organized, at its headquarters, a lecture entitled: "Enabling Digital Government", in which Mr. Hamad Al-Mutairi, Director of the Archives Department, reviewed the National Library and Archives establishment in 1968 upon directives from the Founder and Builder, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and the main stages it went through, he also tackled the National Library and Archives’ vision, mission, and values.
The Director of the Archives Department encouraged the government entities’ participants to provide the National Library and Archives with innovative ideas that enhance the sustainability of its digital documents and data preservation methods, stressing the importance of institutions’ vital documents and their responsibility to preserve them.
He discussed the importance of the digital files preservation and sustainability methods, pointing out that this is the National Library and Archives mission and objective, since it keenly seeks to achieve long-term preservation for over two thousand years. He also tackled the digital government strategy objectives and priorities, stressing the UAE prominent and leading status among world countries, and pointed out that the digital government works to enhance infrastructure and support digital transformation strategies in government entities.
The lecture further tackled the government bodies’ responsibilities and role in digital records and documents preservation, and discussed at length the National Library and Archives significant role in government agencies coordination, infrastructure, sustainability, training and consulting, policies regulations, procedures, and legislation, most important of which is the Federal Law No. 7 of 2008 and its bylaws or executive regulations, and the guidelines available on the National Library and Archives’ website. He stressed the importance of joint-institutional efforts to realize and sustain records integrity, preservation, and accessibility.
The Archives Department Director concluded his lecture by shedding light on Abu Dhabi, and its hosting, from 9-13 October, the 19th edition of the International Council on Archives Congress, under the slogan "Enriching Knowledge Societies", which topics discussed important current and future archival issues, on top of which come peace and tolerance, then emerging technologies - electronic records and solutions, sustainable knowledge and sustainable planet: Archives, records, climate change, trust and evidence, access and memories.
The workshop included a speech delivered by Ms. Shaikha Al-Abdouli, Head of the Records Department at the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, that tackled her distinguished experience in organizing and digitizing records and films.
On the sidelines of the International Archives Day celebration, the National Library and Archives organized, at its headquarters, a historical photo-exhibition featuring and documenting various aspects of the history of the UAE and its people in the 1960s, and before the establishment of the Union.
The National Library and Archives organized an exhibition of innovative methods and smart solutions at its headquarters which technically supported its tasks and goals achievement in terms of preserving and facilitating access to the memory of the nation.