-in observance of Archives week 2010
IN observance of Archives week, the National Archives of Guyana, under the auspices of Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport, yesterday launched its annual exhibition at the facility on Homestretch Avenue . It is designed to sensitize persons to the facility’s role and the need for preservation of documents for the benefit of future generations.
The exhibition is being held under the theme “Preservation and disaster preparedness for the protection of Cultural heritage and government records”, and showcases an assortment of rare archival records depicting the richness of the country’s heritage and history. This includes the general register of Indian Immigrants introduced into British Guiana by ship from 1894 to 1896, the official Gazette (1970), British Guiana Ordinances for the year 1957, and historic photographs .
The exhibition is expected to run until November 2.
The National Archives is entrusted to promote national advancement by ensuring that government officials and the general public are kept constantly supplied with information.
In addition to the exhibition, a records manager’s workshop and a lecture for secondary school students will be held today and Friday.
A press release from the National Archives of Guyana said that the lecture will deal with  ‘Archival Research and Cultural Heritage,’ and will aim at generating interest among research students and possibly those pursuing history as a vocation.
The workshop will also sensitize record creators and managers to the need to make preparations for safeguarding the nation’s memory in event of natural disasters, and the need to practice preservation techniques to improve the quality of records deposited at the National Archives.
Preservation is important to records managers because it ensures that the documentary heritage of the country is safeguarded permanently for generations to come. To achieve this, there will be presentations on disaster management and the role and functions of the National Archives, basic records management practices, basic disaster preparedness techniques, and basic preservation techniques of archival records.