The National Library and Archives plays a critical role in Papua New Guinea’s history data collection, says Minister for Education Nick Kuman.
Kuman said, following the recent launch of the National Library, Archives and Records Services 10 Year Strategic Plan 2016-2025, library and archives provides a source to store knowledge.
He said this knowledge can be retrieved in the future for education and other use.
Kuman highlighted that in the past, Papua New Guineans basically depended on the memory to remember everything that has happened in the past.
“We have an oral history so from generations to generations that knowledge was passed just by oral communication but we now have the National Library and Archives.
“Since its establishment, it provides data opportunity for us to store knowledge and that is the only official agency that stores the knowledge of this country,” he said.
The National Library and Archives is an agency of the Ministry of Education.
A decision by the Government to establish a library service was 42 years ago but libraries in general started back in the 1950s
The National Library and Archives Act 1993 formalised the policies of public libraries so they as an agency play a critical role within the Ministry.