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Agency To Build New Archival Building

Published on: Tue, 2014-01-28 00:00

The National Archives and Library Agency to build new eight floor archival building expected to be finalized within two years. Culture and Tourism Minister Amin Abdulkadir yesterday laid the corner-stone of the new building, EH reported.

Estimated to cost 170 million birr, the new building when fully operational will enable the Agency to give vast services effectively and efficiently to a number of users. The services would be fast, qualitative, reliable and IT-based information, standardized archival and library services.

Defence Engineering is mandated to execute the construction of the building believed to be the first ever to bring together the National Archives of Ethiopia.

Speaking at the cornerstone laying ceremony, Agency Director General Abraham Chosha said that having made a number of structural changes, the Agency has been aggressively working to deliver quality service.

Ritta Pankhurst, wife of the famous historian Richard Pankhurst also said: “The new building will further address the preservation of official documents which are the heart of national archives.”

he also commented on the looting of Magdala in 1868 by British and other troops saying :“The return of the Magdala manuscripts, or at least high resolution copies, would no doubt qualify for priority attention under this rubric. I believe the day will come when the Magdala manuscripts will be on display in this very building for which we are laying the corner-stone.”

She also said that Ethiopia will succeed in possessing national archives which will be the pride of every Ethiopian and, indeed of every African. The public Library Wemezekir currently, the Ethiopian National Archives and Library Agency was established in 1944. It was first inaugurated by His Majesty Emperor Haile-Selassie I and started giving services with books donated by him.

Source: The Ethiopian Herald (EH)



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