In collaboration with the Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi,
The National Library and Archives Offers the Students of Bachelor in Archiving a Practical Application on Documents and Records Management
The National Library and Archives received second-year students pursuing Bachelor in Records Management and Archival Sciences at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi during their academic visit. They were briefed about the electronic documents and records management system, which provides best services according to the NLA’s strategy on current and intermediate documents and records management through the functional classification plan and file retention plan based on the applicable procedures stated in Federal Law No. (7) of 2008 on the National Library and Archives and its amendments along with its executive regulations.
H.E. Abdulla Majed Al Ali, Director General of the NLA, welcomed the students and encouraged them to excel in their specialization of records management and archival sciences. He stressed that working on preserving, indexing, classifying, documenting and archiving records and documents using scientific methods is a national duty that reflects the nation’s past and memory since those who do not benefit from the past’s experiences and learned lessons cannot make the best of their present and future. This is exactly what the Founding Father Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan meant when he said: “He who does not know his past cannot make the best of his present and future”. Thus, we rely on the youth to continue the mission of this national duty.
This visit comes as part of the close cooperation between the NLA and Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi to enhance the students’ applied knowledge in the field of documents management as it complements their study at the university and close the gap between students and the archival fieldwork.
Mr. Rachid Hamadache, from the Center’s Archives at the NLA, delivered a lecture; he started with identifying the “Documents and Records Management System” and how it provides an integral management of current and intermediate documents and their final stage by permanently preserving the historical archival materials or disposing them following the approval of the concerned committee.
He discussed the importance of this system in controlling the confidentiality of the current and intermediate records, files circulation procedures, reduction of paper work, organization of classification procedures, improvement of documents exchange between departments, facilitation of easy access and retrieval of documents, efficient management of data, provision of appropriate preservation conditions for long-term storage and use of state of art technologies in creating administrative and technical documents.
Moreover, he focused on the possible role of the artificial intelligence in supporting this system gradually, linking it with the internal systems and enhancing its functions by preserving, processing, classifying and retrieving information in accordance with the NLA’s objectives and in line with the best standards for preserving the government archives and records according to Federal Law No. (7) of 2008 on the National Library and Archives and its amendments along with its executive regulations.
It is noteworthy that the Electronic Archiving Section of the Archives Department at the NLA has coordinated and supervised this academic visit, and the first batch of students has graduated from the Bachelor in Records Management and Archival Sciences, which was launched in collaboration between the NLA and Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi to provide the UAE’s archives with national specialized cadres.