State Archives Building

The proposed State Archive Building, Sarawak is a two and the half storey building having a total gross area of 24,464 m2. It will be constructed on a land size of 13.2 acres adjacent to the present State Library building.

Background

In August 2014 ‘Towards a Blue Print for Sarawak’s Records: a Forum and Workshop’ was held in Kuching. Representatives of a wide range of Sarawak Government departments and instrumentalities and kindred bodies, as well as a number of international experts, held detailed discussions on the subject of archives and records management principles and practices as they relate to Sarawak. A subsequent document, entitled ‘World Class: a Blueprint for Sarawak’s Records’, took into account the valuable input from the Workshop. Recommendations relating to building requirements set out in the Blueprint are:

1) That immediate approval be sought to identify a site for and prepare documentation for a state of the art custom-built archival repository in Kuching, using a design which enables the straightforward addition of extra modules of storage as additional space becomes necessary.
2) That all new repository buildings be planned to take account of the life-cycle cost of such facilities, with a view to world’s best practice, green credentials, appropriate siting and ease of future extension.
3) That storage facilities for public records in the custody of Government bodies meet a standard agreed with Pustaka, having regard to Malaysian and international standards and to the intended lifespan of such records.
4) That all storage facilities for public records be under the direct control of the Sarawak Government and be declared Security Areas. This Brief also incorporates the requirements of an innovative research and training institute (referred to throughout as ‘the Institute’). The Institute will form a division of Pustaka to engage in archives, records and library research to enhance services, to host visiting scholars, to provide training and attachment possibilities for higher-degree students, and to become a regional centre of excellence in its field.

The Consultant was engaged in 2015 to develop, in close consultation with Pustaka Negeri Sarawak, a detailed design brief for the facility. Following face to face discussions with key personnel in November/December 2015 and a sharing of emerging concepts with the Pustaka Board of Management on 3 December, this document was prepared in draft form and submitted to relevant officers for comment. The draft for presentation to the Board was completed in March 2016, and formed the basis for concept plans developed by PU Architects Sdn Bhd.

Functions

The facility will provide the opportunity for the consistent treatment and preservation of archival records of permanent significance for legal, administrative or historical reasons and for the orderly integration of all records management activities within State Government bodies. Furthermore it is intended:

1) To collect, organise, conserve and preserve official Sarawak State Government archives of permanent historical or administrative significance
2) To make available such archives to authorised officers and bona fide researchers, subject to appropriate security and confidentiality arrangements
3) To ensure that such records remain in an accessible form into the future, ‘stored on media that ensure their usability, reliability, authenticity and preservation for as long as they are needed’
4) To transfer such records to different formats for long-term accessibility and preservation
5) To assist in the implementation of world-class records management practices throughout the Sarawak Civil Service by providing guidelines, manuals and training
6) To provide facilities for the storage, retrieval and eventual disposal or permanent archiving of semi- current records of Sarawak Government agencies
7) Through its Institute, to advance the training and enhance the records management skills of public and private sector employees in South East Asia
8) Through its Institute, to conduct and commission research into advances in records management and archival administration
9) To cooperate with Sarawak Government and other bodies in forwarding its aims and functions.

Components

1) Reading areas for public and official access to records
2) Exhibition spaces for changing and travelling exhibitions focussing on Sarawak’s history and documentary heritage, including the secure display of ‘treasures’ of the archive
3) A Visitor Centre, with orientation, exhibition and function spaces and facilities at the focal point of a walkway linking the new building with the existing Pustaka Negeri Sarawak building
4) Storage for paper-based records of all sizes, including those contained in a range of standard archival boxes as well as outsize items such as posters, maps and charts, with most standard items housed in an ultra-compact Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS)
5) Storage for print and non-print materials deposited under the provisions of the Sarawak State Library Ordinance, 1999
6) Storage for records in a wide range of non-paper-based formats, including cool or chilled storage facilities for still and cine film materials
7) Digitising facilities for items in all formats large and small
8) Equipment to transfer records from one format to another, including the migration of data to a format which will remain accessible using future hardware and software
9) A custom-built recording studio and associated facilities for oral history interviews
10) Legacy equipment, together with relevant software and instruction manuals to ensure access to obsolete formats for transfer to more permanently-accessible formats
11) Laboratories where documents and other items are repaired, conserved and restored
12) Photographic facilities for copying and printing from photographic negatives
13) Handling and transit areas for incoming and outgoing records
14) Fumigation facilities for incoming records requiring treatment
15) A secure vault for items of particular intrinsic or historic value
16) Administrative offices
17) Public and staff amenities
18) Storage for archival containers, conservation materials (including chemicals)
19) Shredding and other equipment for dealing with records scheduled for disposal and recycling
20) Standby power plant to ensure environmental conditions are maintained in the event of a power outage

The Institute

The facility will also house a research and training institute which will:

1) Provide training to enhance the records management skills of officers of the Sarawak Civil Service
2) Offer research facilities and training opportunities to other organisations in Sarawak and elsewhere in South East Asia, thereby contributing to Sarawak’s educational export income
3) Commission research which will explore and promulgate advances in records management and archival administration
4) Host Fellowships, which may attract sponsorship, promoting research and the sharing of expertise
5) Cooperate with other State bodies in relevant research, such as with the Sarawak Biodiversity Centre on the use of natural products in the treatment of records Channel returns on research investment into further research activities.

The Institute will contain lecture and training rooms, demonstration and experimental laboratories and faculty offices.

Outreach Services

The facility will make its resources and services known as widely as possible by engaging with the community and demonstrating to decision- makers the importance of preserving documentary records and official archives for current and future research. It will do this, inter alia, by:

1) Mounting exhibitions and displays (including travelling exhibitions) for the general public and special audiences, including legislators, civil servants, university students and school groups
2) Providing electronic access to catalogues, indexes and when appropriate to digitised records
3) Offering reference and information services for the general public and the Sarawak Civil Service
4) Publishing guides and manuals in print or in electronic form or both
5) Hosting addresses and lectures by visiting Fellows of the Institute and publish papers produced by Fellows
6) Publishing or co-publishing works based wholly or in part on documentation accessed in the facility
7) Publishing findings of commissioned research
8) Promoting its Oral History Programme through its ‘whole of life’ interviews with key figures in Sarawak’s development and among its ethnic groups, particularly those where there is an oral rather than written tradition
9) Offering a ‘digitising on request’ service for an appropriate fee
10) Providing services on a commercial basis to participating organisations
11) Participating in national and international networks of archives in the interest of advancing the practice of archives and records management
12) Encouraging sponsorship for particular exhibitions, spaces within the facility and records-related programmes.

Design

In its design and construction the new facility shall:

a) Be an iconic, attractive and memorable as well as highly functional and efficient building
b) Be a safe and comfortable facility to work in and to visit
c) Explore and where appropriate implement innovative and leading edge techniques of architectural and engineering design, construction and fitout
d) Take advantage of the benefits of an automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) for efficient handling of archival and other resources
e) Showcase products of Sarawak and the skills of its people
f) Reflect in its design and decoration the rich cultural heritage and history of Sarawak
g) Be a ‘green’ building, through its construction and throughout its economic life, by making use of post-consumer recycled materials and by being as energy-efficient as possible, subject to the strict environmental requirements of the resources to be stored and accessed
h) Be hospitable to people with a variety of disabilities, both in public and staff areas
i) Meet and in many instances exceed international and local standards for facilities of its kind
j) Set the highest standard for futurerecords facilities in Sarawak and in the region.

Organisation

The facility is divided into 7 components:

• Public areas: these include general access (e.g. Foyerand parts of the Visitor Centre) and secure areas (reading, research study, official reading and exhibition areas) • Institute areas: a zone with its own identity and presence for students and trainees, fellows, researchers, academic staff, support staff, with lecture space, demonstration and experimental laboratories • Staff only areas: these include preservation and processing areas • Information Technology areas: including conversion areas where legacy equipment and software is transferred to formats with greater longevity • Resources Storage areas: including the Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) area, storage for non-standard items and vaults • Services areas: these include deliveries, preliminary treatment (e.g. fumigation), general storage, security, plant and equipment • Plant rooms and miscellanea, including service corridors, fire suppression system spaces, air handling units, utility spaces, switchboards and the like