Private Archives and Their Role in Preserving the Nations Memory

Abstract

Private archives are an indispensable complement to public archives. With the records they store, protect and preserve, they represent nations memory, an important source of information and add value, validity and integrity to certain information and data. The paper discuses a few obstacles and problems private archives face, from disunity of the definitions of the term private archives in the first place, to not receiving proper support from the government and lack of expert knowledge and modern technologies. The National Records and Archives Authority (NRAA) is working on awareness of the importance of private records, private archives and cooperation between public and private archives, with official visits and direct contact, education seminars, awareness campaigns, annual ceremonies etc. Building and upgrading such collaboration in compliance with international standards and state regulations would result in permanent preservation of archival records, which represent a source for scientific research and an advantage to be taken of by creators itself, public and the state.