reflection onsite (NAS)

National Archives of Singapore (NAS) is a building where mostly everything related to Singapore history records is gathered here, both from public and government sector. It acts as a storage room where everything is compiled together. Collection of materials range from documents, books, posters, pictures, data, maps, audios and videos which are taken way back as early as 19th century can subjectively be found here.

A few information examples that can be found in NAS range from Singapore government press media and speeches. Building and road maps. Various collections of photographs from different festival season, landscape, architecture awareness, campaign and film poster. Audio video clips film way back such at National Parade, news and so on.

The public can preferably use NAS as a source of database whereby they can access research finding for school research assignments, data statics, evidences, cross referencing or understanding the past history such as the culture and heritage.

Materials in NAS are mostly voluntary given.

NAS also provide archives conservation services. Whereby paper document that badly damage due to physical wear and tear or bugs infestation can probably be conserve back to brand new though some conservation procedure.

They also have image preservation laboratory. Most of the material store here are not physically store as those bulky books, documents, record tapes and etc. There are some, but most are them are been scanned and transfer to computer and then save into a digital storage data, for example such as a microfilms. For those bulky films recording tapes are minimised and converted by storing them as a compact disc. Since lands in Singapore are limited and small, NAS need to minimise their material storage. By doing so, this output can be preserve even longer though the climate controlled room that they have created to store them to. In return NAS received ISO certification in year 2003 in imaging and conservation services through its excellent accuracy and quality of the preservation development.

NAS provides guided tours around the building to educate the public with the service they provide in term on how different materials are preserved and store and the steps taken for each process (archives conservation, image preservation). They also are in partnership with local universities as to provide internships to students whose corresponded course are related in this working field as to expose and for adapt them in working lifestyle.

enemies of paper, both environment and handling factors.

the different stages perform for archives conservation services.

image preservation lab, the different equipment use to scan different materials.

sound and moving image lab, the time line of how audio visual data be save as.

pictures above credits to stessen.

NAS has created a website for the public to access on, Access to Archives Online Singapore (a2o). It’s the one-stop portal site on heritage information. It allows users to search for information across NHB’s various independent databases, allowing public to view selected photographs and maps, listen and watch to short snip clip of oral history interview and audio video recordings, at the comfort of home though our fingertips. It’s a click away. Each individual material they have their own specific id number-name. If the public wish to excess to them, take note of the id and they can drop by to NAS for assistants about their findings. For example, if the users wish to develop the photo found in the Picture Archives Singapore (PICAS) for education wise, they should take note of the necessary information given and then head down to the NAS Archives Reference Room.

Previously NAS has travel exhibition that showcase in school, community club and etc to promote the awareness of Singapore history to the public. In some exhibition, due to it high popularity, a2o website has created online exhibition which are enhanced with interactive multimedia for the public to excess too. Thus in any case the viewer forgot some information from the show case they can always visit the website for more in dept details with just a click away.

On side note, NAS does not have those email newsletter notification on happening or events that going to held. They only update such information on their main website. NAS are not much into social media, as I can’t seem to find any RSS feeds, follow Twitter account nor a Facebook group account. Thus leaving the public clueless in term of getting them to stay connected with NAS, though the net. I personally think it’s best to have a so form of web communication. Hopefully in future time having at least some social network tool like Twitter or Facebook account can be a very useful tool to keep the NAS and the public interact in term of updates, promotion and events.

print screen of database Collection of Oral History Recording Database (CORD).