National Archives relocates to Helena Complex |14 August 2018

The Seychelles National Archives has permanently moved out of the National Cultural Centre and hopes to have its own building by 2021.

Alain Lucas, the director of the National Archives, said this relocation is due to the renovation work that is expected to start on the National Cultural Centre and added that, once renovated, “the National Archives will not be moving back into the building”.

According to Mr Lucas all the occupants of the National Cultural Centre, including the National Library, will also be vacating the premises.

Mr Lucas however noted that the National Archives is presently not open to the public, noting that the National Archives will advise the press and public when it is ready to re-open its doors.

However, even if not fully operational, the National Archives is entertaining certain requests as long as the documents asked for are available in digital format.

It was earlier this year, in February, that the administrative, technical, audiovisual, restoration and audio-visual sections of the National Archives relocated to Helena Complex, Ile du Port.

The complex is situated at the second roundabout between Ile du Port and English River, opposite the Seychelles Public Transport Corporation (SPTC) Ile du Port depot.

Additionally the archive’s unit which stores legal documents such as deeds have, since two months ago, relocated to the Ex-Magistrate Court located in the centre of town, whereas its digital data entry section is based at Providence.

Mr Lucas stated that these different locations are temporary and that the Seychelles National Archives is working towards having its own building to house all these sections.

“We are hoping that this will be made possible in two to three years’ time, possibly by 2021,” he said.

The only National Archives section which has a permanent footing is the government record centre, located in Providence, which opened in 2012. This is where all government records below the gestational period of 30 years are kept.

Mr Lucas explained that these records continue to remain the property of the relevant ministries and that it can only be accessed via requests to the authorised ministry rather than to the National Archives.

“It is only after 30 years that these documents fall under the purview of the National Archives,” Mr Lucas explained.

“Even if we do get our own building, the record centre will remain separate from the main transactions of the National Archives.”

In a bid to upgrade its services, the National Archives is in the process of digitising all of its documents in order to create a digital document retrieval system readily available for anyone to use.

“We will of course still have the original documents at hand,” Mr Lucas added.

Moreover, he further revealed that the Attorney General’s office is at present finalising its work on the Seychelles Archives Act 1964 which is to, as Mr Lucas stated, “keep the archives up to date with current times”.

Documents available at the National Archives include newspapers, official gazettes dating back to 1879 and civil status records since 1794, among others.

The National Cultural Centre, which housed the National Archives, has been plagued with instances of fungus infestation since 2013 wherein mechanisms such as ozone and UV light systems as well as a humidity apparatus were introduced to control the bacteria.

The bacteria re-appeared in 2016 and affected the staff, some of whom developed chronic skin problems, forcing some to take sick leave.