Distribution: limited ini /PF/CONSULTANT

si n g a p o r e Lhde National Archives

Records Management 15 April-14 August 1967

by Dr. F . R . J . Verhoeven

xv

Serial N o . 324 .BMS. H D / D B A Paris, December 1967 unesco

CONTENTS jfege

1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION 3

2. ARCHIVAL SITUATION 5

(a ) Legal , 3 (b) Disposal practices h (c) Value of archival holdings, local and regional 5 (d ) Records management 6 (e) Questionnaire; visits to departments, boards and offices 7 (f) Economic and business records, and priv&te papers ,. 7 (ß) Importance to research, local and abroad 8 (h) Importance as national heritage 8 (i ) International co-operation 9

3. PROBLEMS • 10 (a ) Archives .. 1 10 (b) Preservation and repair 11 (c ) Description ,.. 11

(d) Microfilming 12 (e) Government publications 13 (f ) Archival publications 13 (g ) Reference and research „ . Ik (h) Retrieval of historical material abroad. Ik (i) Records management: facts and data from questionnaire 15 (J ) Records Service 16 (k) Staff 17

(1 ) Director 17 (2 ) Senior Archives Officer 17 (3 ) Archives Officer „ 18 (h ) Bookbinders and restorers » 18 (5) Training of junior staff 18

(1) Buildings. 18 (1 ) Temporary housing in the National Library. 18 (2) Future NARC buildings 19 (3) Shelving and boxing. 20 (k) Air-conditioning, temperature, humidity

and vermin control. 20 (5 ) Security, fire hazard and flooding 21

(m ) Archives and Records Committee , 21 (n) NARC budgets 1967/1968 22 (o) Manual of Office Procedure 22 (p) Lectures; article ..« 23

4. RECOMMENDATIONS 23

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ANNEXES Reference in text

No I. Text of National (Archives and) Records Centre Bill, with amendments (one copy) 2 (a)

No II Memorandum from the Director, National Library to Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Culture, concerning the National (Archivéis and) Records Bill, dated 8.7.67. 2 (a)

No. Ill Circular Memorandum from Permanent Secretary, Culture concerning the establishment of the National Archives and Records Centre, dated 21.U.67, with questionnaire«. 2 (b)

No. IV Letter of the Director of Audit, dated 19.5.67 . . . t 2 (d)

No. V Advice on the publication of Tan Soo Chye's Index, dated 15.6.67 3 (g)

No. VI List of public offioes requesting transfer of their non-current records 3 (i)

No. VII Schedule of duties of the Director of the NARC, according to the National Archives and Records Centre Act ç

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1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Singapore, founded In l8l9, is an island city state, Independent since 1965» with an area of 22^ square miles and a population of nearly 2,000,000. The administration of the Republic is wholly concentrated in the city area (population about 1,200,000) with a large harbour along the waterfront. The port of Singapore is among the largest in the world, taking fifth place according to shipping tonnage.

Singapore was the seat of government of the Straits Settlements and of Malaya from 1836 to 19^2. Many of its large public buildings, erected before World War II with perhaps an eye more for pomp than for useful space, are an exponent of this historical development. In the commercial, maritime and economic fields, Singapore has been and will remain to be one of the focal points in South East Asia. It is the main trade-entrepot of the region as well as a rapidly developing industrial centre.

In the first century of its history the population of Singapore consisted mainly of migrants from East and West, who have only fairly recently come to stay and accept the Republic as the place where they will live and die and rear their families. The Prime Minister of Singapore has repeatedly stressed that it is vital for the State to transform its migrant society to one with roots in the island. Its inhabitants descend from four mainstreams of culture, i.e. Chinese, Malay, Tamil and Western (mostly British).

By the end of this century Singapore is expected to have 3 *o 4,000,000 inhabitants (the annual rate of increase is now about 2.5$) crowding a small island without natural resources. If the Republic is to improve on its already high standard of living - one of the highest in Asia - it will mainly be the result of its excellent situation and the genius of its multi-racial population.

Naturally these basic facts have a strong bearing on the administrative and archival situation in Singapore, some positive and some negative.

As a disadvantage I would mention the large and solid pre-war public build­ings, which are generally uneconomical, inefficient and a waste of cubic and floor space. Some government departments are housed in war-time buildings, which have been condemned years ago and are now a hazard to their holdings of records.

Contrariwise the government personnel makes an active and professional impression on an outside, short-term expert, while administrative praotices are brisk and business-like, as is to be expected in a commercially-minded society.

The administrative language is mainly English, but the national language is coming more and more to the fore.

Historical interest is largely economic, but other historical aspects have been receiving more attention lately, among them an interest for buildings of historical value and also for documents of historical and national importance, i.e. the Singapore archives.

2. ARCHIVAL SITUATION

(a) Legal

The National Library Ordinance 1957 states that the National Library (Ministry of Culture) shall "receive, preserve and administer the official arc­hives" and arrange for the microfilming of these archives (clause 5<i). This regulation of the Ordinance, which has the status of an Act, is supplemented by

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the General Order of 1.1.55 Nr. 5 0» stating that "each head of department is responsible for ensuring that the records not required on administrative or historical grounds are destroyed, and that records of historical value are trans­ferred to the Government Archives in the National Library."

It should be noted, that: (1) the Government Archives mentioned in the General Order

is not an archival institution but identical with "the official archives" in the Ordinance, meaning in effect the mostly pre-war holdings of archives at the National Library;

(2) the instructions in the General Order have been directed apparently more at the destruction of records than at the preservation of archival material of potential historical value;

(5) the authority for destruction or preservation of records and archives is vested in administrative officers and not in the archivist.

I need not stress that leaving the final responsibility to administrative officials has been Internationally considered unacceptable, because the administra­tive instances as such are often the worst Judges of which files are of long-term importance, and which may with safety be destroyed. Moreover, the practical effect of this arrangement is to place the major onus for exercising the historical criterion as a rule on Junior officers, who are least qualified to bear it.

The present system in Singapore, which luckily has only been partially and irregularly effected, will be superseded by proper archival and records management regulations with the enactment of the National Archives and Records Centre Bill. According to the NARC Bill the Director of National Archives and Records will be the only official having tha authority to specify what public records are of enduring national and historical value (clause 2) and what public records shall be destroyed (clause 9» ^ a ) .

The NARC Bill, consisting of 17 articles, has already passed through its first reading in Parliament and is expected to be enacted in one or two months. Its system will be described more in detail below. A copy of the Bill is attached as Annex No. 1. In the printed text of the copy a number of additions and correc­tions have been made in ink. These are the amendments proposed by the Minister of Culture after the first hearing in Parliament. The amendments are made at the suggestion of the Director of the National Library, actinc on my advice after a discussion on the legal aspects with the Solicitor-General's office. A copy of the Director's memorandum on the amendments in the NARC Bill, dated 8.7.67» is attached as Annex No, II.

It is interesting to note, that in the system of the NARC Bill the advantage of differentiating in the English and the national languages, between the term archives (arkib) and records (rekod) has been fully utilized.

(b) Disposal practices

General Order No. 5^2, dated 1.1.55, states the minimum preservation periods for financial and personal records (from 1 to 20 years for various purely finanaial records and 7 years for pension registers, and salary and personal records cards). Other records shall be reviewed "not later than three years after they have passed out of use" and destroyed if "not required for departmental or historical purposes". After ten years, the records not destroyed at the first review should again be

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reviewed by the head of department or officers deputed by him, for destruction or transfer to ths National Library.

Similar disposal orders have been issued by other departments (Treasury, Police Etc. ). As a result half of all departments regularly burn their records. The authority for this disposal differs widely in practice, from Junior records keepers, with only postprimary schooling to directors on academic level. On the other hand, transfers to the National Library of public records deemed of histori­cal value have been regrettably few and far between. Only three departments have transferred part of their non-current records since 1959» i«e« the year in which Singapore obtained full internal self-government. This rate of transfer is far below standard, as is clearly demonstrated by the fact that since the Government has announced last April its intention to set up the National Archives and Records Centre more than forty departments have straightaway requested transfer of their non-current records. Without doubt many more departments will follow suit after inspection on the spot by future NARC personnel. Many of these non-current records appear to take up valuable office space that could better be used for staff accomao» dation and office equipment. Thus an orderly process of transfer and disposal would substantially contribute to efficiency and economy in the administration.

Meanwhile a circular memorandum has been distributed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Culture, requesting heads of departments and chairmen of statutory boards not to destroy files or other public records without prior consul­tation with and the approval of the Director of the National Library. A copy of this memorandum is attached as Annex No. III. (c) Value of archival holdings, local and regional

The National Library holds about UOO linear feet of archives from 1800 to 19^2, spared by the ravages of World War II. These archives constitute a continuous series, going back to some 20 years before the actual founding of Singapore in 1819. This historical happenstance was caused by the transfer of the seat of the Government of the Straits Settlements with its records from Penang to Singapore in 1836. This fact alone would suffice to indicate the more than local importance of the Singapore archives, comprising unique archival material pertaining to nineteenth century Malacca and Penang, but there is more to it. Though Singapore and Malaysia are two separate political entities since 19^5» from an archival aspect they share the same history, the same languages and multi-racial components, and the same public administration tradition. Singapore archives hold many important records relating to the administration of various divisions of the Malay Peninsula before World War II, such as secret and confidential dispatches exchanged between the Colonial Office in London and the Governors of the Straits Settlements from 1867 till 19^2, the letters from Governors and the Minutes of Residents' Conferences from 1897 till 1931« A short preliminary survey has shown that the Singapore Archives also contain letters signed by Stamford Raffles at Batavia in l8l4, letters to the Sultan of Rhio from the last Dutch Governor of Malacca (I818-I825) and other material concerning the early nineteenth century history of Indonesia and Brunei. The time available during my assignment was too shox"t to undertake more research in these highly interesting aroliives, but I am fully oonvinced that they hold much more material of historical value for the region, as is to be expected from the focal position Singapore has always had in South East Asia.

The primary importance however of the archival holdings lies in their irre­placeable value as the principal source of facts and data for the research on and the study of the history of Singapore, providing the most extensive as well as de­tailed documentation on its political, economic and social history.

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- 6 -The Singapore Archives hold the original Malay copy of the I8l8 Treaty of

Commercial Alliance between the English East India Company, represented by Colonel Farquhar and Sultan Abdul Rachman Shah of Rhio and Pahang, of which the English text is published in Maxwell's Treaties and Engagements, as well as two series of volumes of letters from and to local rulers. The early secret and political Singapore consultations, correspondence with the Governments of India, Bengal and Madras, series of miscellaneous letters and governor's diaries, always a rich source of variegated documentation, Minutes of the Executive Council from 1867 and of the Legal Council from 1872, Straits Settlements Circulars going back to 185^ and many of other valuable series are included in the Archives. A number of Nineteenth century maps and plans, which have yet to be appraised and arranged, are also part of the Singapore holdings.

Duplicates and triplicates of part of the Singapore Archives will as a matter of course be found in the National Archives of India in New Delhi and in the Public Records Office in London, but to ascertain the location of the doubles, and more important still, to find out whether the gaps in the Singapore series could be filled (and vice versa) will only be possible after a detailed list of holdings has been compiled in the NARC.

«

Perhaps I should stress here, that no people can be deemed masters of their own history until their public archives, gathered, preserved and made available for public inspection and investigation, have been systematically studied and the importance of their contents determined. Therefore it is a moral obligation of any democratic government to make archives of national and historical value available to the people, (d) Records management

As has been indicated in the introduction Singapore is an uncommonly compact unit. Its departments, boards and offices, which occupy more than 1,500,000 square feet of space, are situated close together in the city area. There are only 3 district offices outside this area, the furthest some 10 miles away in the new industrial complex of Jurong.

Most administrative units of the Republic are comparatively young. Only 35$ of its departments date back directly to the period before World War II. A small number of the newer ones have apparently taken over from former departments by a change of name only. Most of the departments however are post-war. On an outsider like me the administrative machinery of the republic makes the impression of being well run along the proven lines of the former British colonial administrative system. There appears to be little red tape and as a rule the officials, in par­ticular those of the quite active Organization and Methods Branch are keen to make administrative and organizational improvements where and whenever feasible* The republic employs more than 63,000 monthly rated officers and more than 10,000 daily rated. As is to be expected the daily rated are non-records producing and therefore of no statistical importance for the purpose of this report.

Not much has been undertaken yet to apply the standards and practices of modem records management. The findings of the preliminary survey compiled during my assignment seem to indicate that the administration of the Republic would prove to be a fruitful soil for improvement and modernization through the animation of an up-to-date records management campaign sponsored by the future NARC in co-operation with the Organization and Methods Branch, Ministry of Finance. I would like to stress that all officers I have met were in favour of establishing an archival end records management service. In this connexion I may refer to the contents of thj letter of the Director of Audit, dated 19.5-1967» which is self-explanatory (see Annex No. IV). The fact that the Singapore administration is a compact and lively

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unit, showing readiness by its officers to improve on its methods and organization, will undoubtedly contribute much to the success of such an undertaking. By doing so Singapore might in due time become an example of a modem, streamlined and com­prehensive public administration, and a general standard for the region.

In this connexion it should be noted that modern records management practices in ^ Australia and again in the United States have also been developed on the basis of the

anterior British Colonial System.

A drawback in Singapore is the predominancy of the many colonial-type office buildings of solid construction dating from the pre air-conditioning age. The incon­veniences and disadvantages for efficient records management and the waste of space in these buildings defy description. The government however is now establishing a twenty-two storey office building to house all departments for national development (Ministry and Board) which will not only be the most modern office building but also the biggest office block in the Republic, (e ) Questionnaire: visits to departments, boards and offices

-^•¡.—H.». .—•• •>!•.! I — I — - . . — .-II — • • • • • i,* i,ll I — — I — * » < — I —• J'W I. I I * • - .••-II« i — - I.. . I. .!•- » M l —

The Government Directory of the Republic lists nearly 200 government authori­ties, associations, branches, ports, bureaux, centres, clubs, colleges, committees, courts, departments, divisions, homes, hospitals, institutes, offices, registries, units and some other administrative sections, under the overall direction of ten ministers.

A questionnaire, containing 35 questions on archives and records management has been sent to 1 5 of these public offices (see Annex No.Ilia). At the moment of writing only 18 questionnaires have not yet been returned. As some departments have "farmed out" the questionnaire to their sub-divisions, actually more than l6o have been completed so far, a very high return indeed. A drawback is that the purpose of the questionnaire and its questions have not always been fully understood, so that about one quarter of the returned questionnaires are more or less deficient. This deficiency, houever, does not substantially affect the preliminary overall outcome of a concise statistical survey, compiled from the data and facts of the question­naire. Moreover, at a later stage the lacking information can be retrieved by visits and on-the-spot discussion, and the computation improved accordingly.

The information obtained from the questionnaires is of primary importance for ascertaining the archival and records management situation, for evaluating the local problems and for making the necessary recommendations for the future.

In addition to the information obtained from the questionnaires (for more Q-data, see para 3,a and 3,i below) I have collected some detailed information through the inspection of the records rooms of some 20 departments, boards and offices, and through discussion with officers of the Ministry of Culture and of the Organization and Methods Branch of the Ministry of Finance. The combined results appear to provide a reliable and actual basis for composing my report as well as for starting the preliminary activities and planning the programme of work of the future NARC.

(f ) Economic and business records, and priva-ce papers

The fact that Singapore has been a commercial and trade centre for nearly one and a half centuries naturally begs the question: what has become of the local records of its many larger and smaller banks, trading houses and shipping firms? As far as I know this field has not yet been explored, but there is no doubt that it will, on investigation, provide a rich yield of archival material containing widely divergent historical information and documentation. ChatiiOers of Commerce, churches, missionary and o'-her societies, universities, colleges and schools, clubs and associations and the like, though much of their records were lo«t during World War II, still may hold valuable archival material.

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- 8 -Last but not least the private papers of important historical personalities and

pioneer families should not be forgotten. It is to be stressed however, that a difficult problem in preserving economic and business records is the average businessman's lack of intarest in the older documents and papers on his firm. In due time the Director of the NARC will have to devote his attention and his gift3 of persuasion to the timely transfer of these records, including those of the fast growing number of newer industrial enterprises.

(g) Importance to research, local and abroad

The lack of a competent archival centre has in recent years invoked spirited protests and exhortations of resident a3 well as visiting historians and researchars. The Department of History of the University of Singapore ha3 taken the lead in July I966, by pointing out that the establishment of a National Archives and Records Centre, which it considered highly urgent, would serve many useful purposes. By instituting the NARC (1) government and quasi-government bodies could dispose of their non-current files in a satisfactory manner; (2) the valuable historical materials that ai'e now kept in the National Library would be better cared for and preserved; (3) Singapore would be further established as a centre of scholarly research, of use to its own research students and staff and also attractive to researchers overseas; (h) tho collection of data so necessary for forward planning by the State would be promoted by encouraging all departments, boards and offices to deposit their material; while (5) nationally conscious individuals and firms could also deposit their valuable private and/or company papers in the NARC and thus link the Government with the people; (6) a logical centre for depositing material relating to Singapore which is now overseas would be established as well as (7) yet another Singapore-centred national and scholarly institution of immediate use, in whose development all Singaporians. could be proud.

As for visiting scholars it would suffice in this context to quote from a recent letter from Dr. CD. Cowan, Professor of South East Asian History in the university of London, and Chairman of tha Centre for South East Asian Studies, London School of Oriental and African Studies, to the Minister of Culture stressing the great impor­tance both to Government administration and to work in the social sciences as well as for the academic world, of a properly organized Archival Centre, and the unfor­tunate consequences of the lack of such machinery.

Already in 1961 the Raffles Professor of History at Singapore University had stated that an efficiently operated archival system is essential for academic research, the life blood of any competent university. In economics, business administration, geography, history and social studies of all kinds, the bacic reed for adequate data of the past, carefully preserved and readily available, is self-evident, he added. ,

Last but not the least, the Library Association of Singapore has in the past years organized a number of lectures, discussing the archives and records situation in the Republic.

(h) Importance as national heritage

There is an outspoken tendency in a number of young developing nations not only to develop their national resources, but also the consciousness of togetherness of their inhabitants, the feeling of a common density of their population. By doing so they grow the deep roots of their national existence which can only be fully discerned through the study of their history, bringing to light the peculiar strands of their unique national genius.

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These roots are to be found not only In the study of economic and social history, important as that may be, but also in constitutional and diplomatic history, development of public administration and the relations between government and citizens, of demography, biography, technology and physical sciences.

Another aspect is the increase of interest for contemporary history, in particular in younger countries, where the "present" becomes the "past" more quickly than in older, already settled ones. This acceleration in the rate of change, this increase in the velocity of history could be the ultimate explanation for the rise of contemporary history and the value for study and research of recent records and "up-to-yesterday" documentation.

To promote this healthy and stimulating tendency in a growing democratic society, the NARC should make every effort to obtain recent material of historical interest on the one hand and on the other, to make it available for public inspec­tion and research as early as is consistent with the interests of the State. By doing so the National Archives will soon become a highly valuable and constantly growing part of the national heritage, at least as important as the collections in the National Library and the National Museum.

The NARC would thus become the guardian of the evidence of the past, part and parcel of the overall national documentation. With each generation the historical Judgement will vary, as it should, but the archival evidence, the basis en which the historical truth can be established, remains intact and accumulates during the years.

As the main body of the national evidence consists of public records and archives, encompassing all actions of the government, and as the citizens of Singapore will have the legally defined right of access for inspection and study of the records on their becoming 25 years old, the National Archives may also be looked on as the ultimate conscience of the Government.

(i) International co-operation

It will not be long before international co-operation in the archival field in South East Asia, already existing in an initial stage in the exchange of informa-tien, in some co-operation in microfilming of material abroad and in infrequent mutual visits of archivists and librarians from Singapore and Malaysia and also from Tliailand and the Philippines, may be expected to develop into a definite pattern of relations and co-ordination through the planned establishment of the South East Asia Branch of the International Council on Archives. This Branch will have, like its counterparts in Africa and South America, its own identity, though it will be adequately linked to International Council on Archives and its Secretar­iat in Paris, thus opening the possibility of profiting from the archival experi­ence and know-how in other parts of the world. Unesco has already made a contri­bution under tha Participation programme for I967-I968 to aid the establishment of the Council l>y providing assistance for holding a first interregional archives conference in I967-I968. It goes without saying that the future NARC can derive much benefit from this co-operation and exchange of experience, particular in the specialist field of repair and preservation of archives and records under tropical conditions.

Obviously Singapore would derive little or no profit from the impending archival co-operation in the region nor from wider international collaboration as

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long as no institute or centre for archival and records management has been set--up in the Republic.

Once however the NARC has been fully established, its active participation in the fast growing regional and international co-operation in archives and records management will undoubtedly contribute in due time and in its own way to enhance the position of Singapore in South East Asia.

3. PROBLEMS

(a) Archives

Though not prescribed in any law or regulation of the Republic, Singapore has up till now officially adhered to the fifty years' rule for the availability of public archives for inspection by the public. This dateline has also more or less determined the actual transfer of public records to the "official archives", held at the National Library.

The NARC Bill reduces this period to twenty-five years and will also establish that "certain age" - when public records achieve archival status - at twenty-five years (clause 7*1 )• The implication of this regulation is that according to the estimates taken from the completed questionnaires (Q-data) some 3»000 to 3»500 linear feet of archives will have to be transferred to the National Library in the near future. The still available repository space for archives at the National Library is 3 »500 linear feet - UCO linear feet have already been taken - so from the space angle this limited transfer of archives would not seem to pose a problem for the time being. I must add however that one cannot be quite sure that the above-mentioned estimate of 3»000 to 3»500 linear feet is indeed correct. First of all, some 20 questionnaires are still outstanding at the moment of writing. Secondly, the situation changes drastically if intermediate records are included.

According to the NARC Bill, intermediate records are those public records which although no longer required by the administration cannot be destroyed, either because they possess contemporary value or because they have been assessed as suit­able, after further consideration and classification, for eventual inclusion in the NARC. Typically, the intermediate records are those ready for storage in a Records Repository (purgatory or limbo), awaiting further disposal action. There is however no such Records Repository in Singapore, while the total length of the intermediate records may be estimated, on the basis of Q-aata at somewhat more than 58»000 linear feet. Even if 75$ of these records could be destroyed straightaway - which I doubt -the remaining 2 1/2 to 3 linear miles still present a formidable storage problem, the more so as among them are a number of "emergency cases" requiring immediate attention. The actual situation as given here in a few words and numbers clearly indicates the urgency of establishing the NARC not later than 1969. Any further delay in constructing the NARC building will increasingly aggravate the present predicament.

The pre-war archives, now held at tho National Library and at some other depart­ments, also require the setting up of the NARC without further delay. About p?» are in a quite bad condition, not fit to be handled by anybody but the restorer, ir>any are torn and tattered, damaged by insects and have to be rebound, of some volumes pe^cs have been partly or wholly torn out. The National Library providas for f jmigat.Lcn half-yearly but it does not have the staff, the equipment nor th9 know-how to give these unique and important documents the treatment they urgently need.

The pre-war archives held elsewhere in Singapore are just stored on wooden shelves and cupboards, a victim of the rigours of the tropical climate, of the contin­uous attacks of voracious insects and rodents, and liable to moulding and foxing from dampness and flooding. Occasional dusting with a handbroom will probably be ccj?riod out, but there is positively no air-conditioning, fumigation nor repair. The hazard of fire and flooding for records outside the National Library, k*sp$ in some of the older buildings is comparatively high. The sooner their transfer to the National

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(b) Preservation and Repair

The Singapore Archives are no exception to the lamentable fact that as a rule large sections of public documents deposited in archival repositories require immediate attention and continuous care (see previous paragraph). I need not stress that looking after the physical well-being of its valuable holdings is an essential and basic function of an archival institution, particularly in a tropical climate.

The NARC Bill instructs the Director of the NARC to preserve any public records transferred to the Centre and to bind and repair these records if in his opinion this is necessary for their better preservation (clause 4,1, d and h). Thus the responsibility for ensuring this physical well-being is fully the Director's.

Archives repair however is an art, and a natural-ability as well as a great deal of practice is needed to become proficient in it. As not enough workshop space is available in the National Library only two bookbinders can be recruited for the 19Ö7-1968 period. They will be required to complete a short course of training in archives repair and preservation practices, presumably at the National Archives of Malaysia. This training should cover not only the principles of repair of nerval £i :ed records and archival volumes, but also of maps and plans, and lamination by liand. As a large number of the bindings of the Nineteenth century archival volumes are heavily damaged, the preliminary training of the bookbinders should include cleaning and repair of leather bindings, edge binding, gold tooling and renewing. Some fifty years ago these volumes have been repaired and rebound La. the Singapore Prison's Bindery but the material used at that time afterwards proved to be an attraction to insects and rather hygroscopic.

Taking into account the vast amount of archives awaiting minor and major repair it seems out of the question for the time being to consider a short term comprehen­sive rehabilitation programme but then it is essential to organize without further delay a systematic repair programme that will make full use of the limited staff and resources available.

The basis for outlining this programme should be provided by a descriptive survey of all necessary repairs noted for each archival volume, so that a list of priorities could be compiled together with a long term estimate of requirements for material, equipment and staff. This descriptive survey of repairs should be compiled by the bookbinders after completing their preliminary training. They will not have the time nor the space to do much more than that and some provisional emergency repair in I967-I968. Once the NARC building is ready a regular repair workshop can be set up in order to start the planned systematic repair programme.

(c) Description

After the transfer of all pre-World War II archives to the future NARC has been completed, a list of holdings should be compiled as soon as possible. The NARC Bill makes this a minimum obligation by stating in clause 4,1, g that the Director shall publish guides, inventories and other publications to make known the holdings of the NARC. As a simple list of holdings could be fairly quickly composed and

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published, and would undoubtedly prove to be an excellent Introduction to the archives for local research as well as a boon for overseas historians.

The publication of this overall list could be followed up by publishing from time to time the original indexes or the lists of contents, still available in a sood many of the archival volumes of the former Straits Settlements Secretariat. It would be comparatively easy to check the contents of the on-the-whole carefully composed original indexes and to ready for publication copies of half a dozen yearly. If alphabetical lists of names and places could be included, a helpful tool for reference and research with wide distribution possibilities could be provided with comparative ease by the academic staff of the NARC, which will without doubt be hard pressed for information from the very beginning.

(d) Microfilming

In accordance with the regulations of the National Library Ordinance 1957 (see para. 2,a above) all archives held in the Library have been microfilmed. As the NARC Bill does not contain this legal obligation and as the cost of micro­filming is high, I would recommend that a priority list for the reproduction of the archival material received after enactment of the NARC Bill, be composed in due time. On the basis of this list the future microfilm capacity of the NARC could be established and a long term estimate made for adequate funds, staff and equip­ment» At a later date funds should also be made available for recopying, as microfilms cannot be expected to last longer than 20-25 years in tropical con­ditions and may even start deteriorating earlier. Attention should also be given to the demand for microfilm copies by historians, libraries, archival and academic institutions abroad, a demand which will surely be stimulated after publication of the list of holdings, mentioned in the previous paragraph.

In this connexion I may suggest that Unesco be requested to provide for a microfilm reader-printer so that research students can obtain positive copies of the microfilms on the spot.

IX should be noted that government charges for microfilm reproduction are very high in Singapore (about 3 times cost) and that the Director of the National Archives does not have the authority for remission of fees for scholarly purposes as is normal elsewhere. It goes without saying that the high reproduction rate is not conducive to the supply of information and documentation from the archives. Actually several large orders for microfilm copies from universities and libraries abroad have been cancelled because of this excessive cost.

A matter of great import, which will require a decision of the NARC leaving the National Library Building in 1969, is whether the National Library and the NARC will have a microfilm unit each, or whether one oombined unit for the two would be feasible, with probably less expenditure.

In my opinion a combination would only be possible if the two institutions were to be located so near to each other that they could be connected by a covered passageway. This possibility however seems quite remote, as there is no more land available near the National Library.

This would imply that a choice has to be made and then the NARC should have priority. The arohives cannot be taken out of the building, while the National Library does not hold such unique material, once its present archival holdings have been transferred. I would like to stress however, that any decision to deprive

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the library of its microfilm section should only be taken after careful considera­tion of its needs, taking a long term view. Moreover, it would serve no use whatso­ever to press for a combination if this would lead to overloading the future NARC microfilm unit, which is destined to become the central microfilm unit of the Govern­ment. On the other hand the reproduction capability of the National Library might in the future be better served by a Xerox or similar installation.

In due time microfilming of archives with the express purpose of safeguarding their contents in case of war and other disasters should be considered. Singapore's location appears from a strategic viewpoint to be an. exposed pinpoint with no natural shelters. Therefore it does not seem far-fetched to suggest that in the long run the NARC makes sure, that a microfilm copy of its most important and valuable archives is kept in a sheltered place abroad, for instance in Australia or New Zealand.

(e) Government publications

The National Library now receives 6 copies of all books published in Singapore in accordance with the regulations of the Preservation of Books Ordinance. In the near future however the number of books required under this Ordinance will be reduced to five. Government publications are included in the legal deposit at the National Library, but sometimes it seems difficult to trace and obtain publications of departments, boards and offices which are not distributed directly by tine Government Printer. There is no doubt, that government publications are covered by the NARC Bill, clause 2 stating that "public records" means ... printed materials, books, maps, plans ... of any kind whatsoever, produced ... by any public office in the transaction of official business. A number of these publications may even reach archival status after 25 years, but it would be useful I feel, if the NARC would obtain one copy of all government publications straightaway, to be kept in the repository and not available for loan outside the NARC. This goes also for maps and plans, produced by the Survey Department. If necessary this arrangement could be administratively "legalized" by a circular memorandum.

In the course of transfer of intermediate records quite an amount of older printed material will be obtained. This would of course be used primarily for building up the NARCs collections of government publications. Any doubles should be offered to the National Library.

(f) Archival publications

The NARC Bill states (clause k, i) that the Director may ... publish any public archives. There is no better way for an archival institution to make its holdings available for reference and research, in particular when there is much overseas research interest. It will take quite some time however before the staff of the NAP.C will hare the opportunity to ready a sizable amount of archival material for publication, as it will be fully occupied with the urgent task of aocessioning, preserving, arranging, describing and referencing the public archives received in the first year. On the other hand, an archival institution should publish more than its obligatory annual report only. Presumably future co-operation with the Univer­sity could provide fruitful solution through the scholarly collaboration of senior students and lecturers. I have already suggested in para. 3» c above that publica­tion of original indexes might be a good start.

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I would like to stress again that first of all a list of holdings should be readied for publication, preferably as an annex to the first annual report, with, enough offprints for use by students and scholars. In preparing the list of holdings good use could be made of the List of Early Records in the Colonial Secretary's Library (I8OO-I867), by S.G.H. Leyh, Singapore 1928, of which a copy (the only remaining one? ) is available in the National Library.

(g) Reference and research

The suggested list of holdings (see the previous paragraph) will be the primary introduction to the archival holdings for reference and research by Government Departments, including the Teachers1 Training College, the reference section of the National Library (which received some 59,000 requests for informa­tion annually), the various departments of the University with historical interests, and researchers, archival institutions, libraries and universities abroad. I may safely predict that this facet of the many future activities of the NARC will grow rather quickly. The amazing development of a similar section at the National Archives of Malaysia is ample proof of an urgent need for information and documen­tation covering a wide scale of historical subjects, facts and data. There, in k years time the day-visits of students and scholars have increased U0056.

The Singapore source material from I805 to 1867 is covered in part by the so-called T.S.C. Index, partly in manuscript and partly in typescript (two volumes, 860 pages in all). This index, which has been microfilmed, is the best means of referential access to the early archives, but I regret to state that I do not consider the index quite up to the mark nor fit for publication. I may refer to my advice on the publication of the T.S.C. Index, dated 15.6.67, to the Director of the National Library, copy of which is attached as Annex No. V.

Prom the beginning an alphabetical subject card system should be kept of all reference questions asked and information given, while it should be made the rule that a. copy of any publication or paper, for the composition of which archival documentation has been utilized, is to be presented to the NARC.

(h) Retrieval of historical material abroad

Clause 8 of the NARC Bill, stating that the Director shall demand in writing and take step3 for the return of any public records belonging to the Government, that have been illegally removed from official custody, appears to provide a basis for the replevin of historical material abroad. Except in clear-cut cases however this will prove to be a difficult procedure, with many loopholes, each case to be judged on its own merits, probably also by foreign authorities. It is not to be expected that many gaps in the Sinapore archives will easily be filled in this way.

The usual method for that is co-operation with official and other custodians abroad, such as archival institutions, libraries, historical societies etc. As far as I know copies of part of the archival material, destroyed in Singapore during World War II, could straightaway be obtained from abroad with the co­operation and assistance of the National Archives of India, the Public Records Office in London and other similar institutions. As a matter of fact the University of Singapore h&3 already procured a sizable quantity of microfilm copies of archival material concerning Singapore and Malaysia from overseas holdings, with

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the financial support of the Ford Foundation. The funds available for this project however are limited in extent and in due time a vote for obtaining microfilm and other copies of historical material abroad should be included annually in the budget of the NARC.

An indication of the volume and variety of the overseas source material re­lating to Singapore can be gleaned from the more than fifty items mentioned in the recently published "A Guide to Western Kanuscripts and Documents in the British Isles relating to South and South East Asia", by M.D. Wainwright and N. Matthews (Oxford University Press, London 1965).

(i) Records management; facts and data from questionnaire

The NARC Bill orders the Director to conduct a records management programme for the efficient creation, utilization, maintenance, retention, preservation and dis­posal of public records. Surely not a small task!

According to the Q-data 58»000 feet of intermediate records, ho longer needed for current use by the administration, now take up l4o,000-150,000 sq. feet of storage or office space. The ratio of one linear foot of records to two and a half square feet of storage space does not look so bad, when compared to conditions in Malaysia (see page 50, Annual Report 19^5 » National Archives of Malaysia, indicating a ratio of 1.13 in State Departments) but all the same it indicates a considerable waste of valuable office space.

The Q-data also indicate an annual accrual of 5» 00 linear feet of records (nearly 10$), which means that increasingly more office space will be needed unless an orderly process of disposal is organized. I should note however that the figure obtained for annual accrual appears rather on the high side when compared to the total number of monthly rated officers, i.e. 63#600,. showing a file production of one linear inch per officer. The estimated Malaysian production is about half a linear inch per officer and I could find no reasons why the Singapore average should be twice that of Malaysia. It is indeed important to obtain a reasonably accurate figure for the annual accrual in order to determine the extent of the necessary re­pository space for the future NARC. This problem should be among the first to be tackled by the Staff of the NARC.

Over 5056 of the Government Departments regularly burn their non-current records; only a few shred them. It might be worthwhile to investigate whether shredding could be made profitable by selling the shreds to the future Singapore paper mill.

The storage rooms in the Government Offices are as a rule not air-conditioaed (only 25$ has a. c. ), \"% have no fans and 22$ have no windows (11$ have no air-circulation at all). The Qrdata further indicate that 63$ of the records are dusty and that "22$ are in a downright bad physical condition while only 1 on every 7 records storage rooms is fire or flood-proof. Enough indication it seems to stress tie urgency uf composing a priority list of emergency cases for which "salvation" must be found straightaway, after inspection and consultation on the spot.

The NARC Bill empowers the Director to examine the public records in any public office and to advise such office as to the oare ... of these records (clauses k, 1, b). Onse the Bill is enacted the Director should indeed use his considerable powers to save many a potential valuable record or series kept in public offices from further deterioration through unfavourable conditions.

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Of these records roughly 50$ are not repaired at all, 40$ are repaired with scotch tape (the ramedy being worse tlian the disease) while 10$ are repaired by other means.

Only 11$ of the records kept in public offices is shelved on steel, while 89$ are put on wooden shelving or stored in a mixture of wooden cupboards and steel cabinets. A few are even kept in old mail bags. No need to point out that wooden shelving is a fire hazard and conducive to insects.

The Q-data also answer the topical question of non-currency of records as experienced by the public officers themselves. 30$ have stated that their records become non-current within 3 years, while 4o$ have estimated that the non-currency status should lie between four and nir.e years and 30$ again think it should be ten years or more. A period of 3 to 5 years appears to be most acceptable (51$)«

Two-thirds of the public officers still keep registers for their inward correspondence. 92$ of the officers responsible for the public records consider them easily located when referred to, but access to other departments is only given in 54$ and to the public in 32$ of the offices. The full access however is pro­vided by all pre-war departments (35$) except one, of which only 18$ actually keep pre-war records, an indication of the heavy loss of records during World War II.

A list of public offices that have meanwhile requested transfer of their non-current records to the future NARC is attached as Annex No. VI.

I would like to end this paragraph by quoting from a questionnaire returned by an important and large department, the following touching and instructive remark: "Our records are kept in inadequate and insufficient space, badly venti­lated; I have to climb 13 feet to get a file, i.e. up to the ceiling of the top floor of the High Court Building".

(J) Records Service

The Q-data in the previous paragraph indicate that the list of priorities for transfer of records to the future NARC will probably include a number of files less than 25 years old, which have retained a certain measure of currency for their departments. The National Library now already houses more than 200 Valuation Registers of the Inland Revenue Department, which have to be consulted from time to time by its officers.

These records, which have not yet attained archival status should be readily available to the administration. In my opinion the best solution would be to start a Records Service, on the same lines as the Malaysian Records Service, which has already proved its worth. By setting up such a service the records can be transferred to the NARC for storage, where they will be cleaned, fumigai;ed and arranged in their proper order, so that they are available on loan to the depart­ment concerned at a simple telephone call or on presenting a receipt at the counter. The legal basis for this Records Service, which will drastically reduce saarching time and clears valuable office space, can be found in clause k,l, f of the NARC Bill, stating that the Director shall at the request of any administrative head of a public office, return any public records transferred from that office to the NARC, for a certain period and subject to certain conditions.

The main problem however is how and where to find the necessary »pace needed for setting up the Records Service.

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Some unoccupied shelving might be temporarily available among the estimated UOO linear feet to be put up in the receiving room in the basement of the National Library, while perhaps some shelving could be put up elsewhere in the building, but here the problem of security would come in. As it will be impossible however to find enough shelving space in the National Library it seems imperative to obtain extra storage space elsewhere. I do not know whether such space with a minimum of archival standards would at all be obtainable at short notice, but I feel that it should be one of the first tasks of the staff of the NARC to start looking for it among government buildings that might be evacuated for some reason or other in the near future. If found, it could help to tide over the critical shortage of storage space in the National Library.

Once the emergency cases have been cared for and the Records Service functions satisfactorily it would be time to consider the training of administrative records officers from the staff of some of the larger departments, in order to start a more effective supervision of records care and custody at the production line. This will take quite some time to accomplish and the subject should be taken up only after the NARC is fully established.

(k) Staff

No need to stress I think, that for a newly beginning department the right structure and choice of Senior Staff is of the highest importance, the more so when the number of staff is kept at a minimum for the time being and every appoint­ment counts.

The NARC Bill envisages three categories of duties: general - archives -and records management.

(1) The Director (Division I, superscale) will naturally take on the general management and the major decisions on archives and records management.

His duties are: (a) to head the NARC; (b) to chair the Archives and Records Committee; (c) to maintain international archival relations; (d) to conduct an overall records management programme; (e) to examine all public records and advise public offices on their care and custody; (f) to dispose of all public records; (g) to replevin illegally removed records; (h) to acquire historical material, including business records and private papers; and (i) to compose the Annual Report.

In due time the Director, who will presumably be a Singapore officer of adequate standing and seniority should receive some training in the principles of records and archives management.

(2) The Senior Archives Officer (Division I, academic scale) will, under the instructions of the Director, appraise, classify and describe the archives and make them available for reference and research, prepare lists, inventories and a publication programme and supervise the repair, preservation and microfilming of archives.

The senior archives officer is to be a specialist in archives management. The appointee will be recruited from university graduates with a good honours degree, preferably in history and will be required to successfully complete an 18 months training course in archives management under the Colombo Plan. The training abroad consists of a Diploma Course in Archives Administration, University College, London

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and study visits to the Public Records Office, London, the Unesco International Centre for the Study of the Restoration of Cultural Property, Rome and the Indian National Archives, New Delhi.

Meanwhile I have been informed that one candidate with an upper second degree in history was selected from seven candidates, among whom were several Malaysian citizens.

(3) The Archives Officer (Division II) will be responsible to the Director for the internal Records Management, the maintenance of repositories and the flow and in­dexing of records, microfilms etc. It may well be that the appointee is on academic level also, with some administrative experience.

I may suggest that an arrangement be made for the Archives Officer to attend the Records Management Training Course, conducted bi-annually by the National Archives, Malaysia, which would provide a useful introduction to the practical preliminaries of records management.

(h) Bookbinders and restorers will be recruited from experienced book-binding personnel, in some quantity available in Singapore, and should be required to under­go some special training in repair and preservation of archives at the repair and preservation department of the National Archives, Malaysia.

(5) The training of the Archives Officer in records management, and of Junior staff, such as the Archives Assistants and Attendants in handling of records should be conducted at the NARC itself as soon as it will be adequately established. Apart from this the Junior staff should also receive practical training in fire fighting.

(1) Buildings

(1) Temporary housing in the National Library

In fact the word temporary should be underlined, as the NARC will have to leave the National Library in 1969. By that time the Library will urgently need the fourth or archives floor in the repository for storage of its expanding book collections.

Prom an archival point of view the available space of about 3»500 linear feet is small, far too small indeed (see para 3»e above). The shelving is mostly 8 inches deep only (bookshelving) and not economical for archival usage, for which 15 to l6 inches is needed. Therefore every effort should be made to ready the new NARC building in the course of 1969.

Meanwhile a receiving room for records transferred from public offices will be temporarily put up in the basement of the Library. The available space is the best that can be provided in the circumstances, but it is below standard all th'í same. The first cleaning of dusty and probably insect-ridden records will nevo to be done in thi3 room, but the ventilation is quite inadequate. At best some 400 linear feet of temporary shelving space could be set up, but that will not be sufficient for shifting larger quantities of records through the various stage«? of cleaning etc.

I have marked the necessary provisions (temporary partition, doors, position of the receiving counter) on a blueprint of the basement, for use by the Director of the National Library.

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Last but not least, provisionary binding and repair section will be set up at one end of the corridor of the fourth repository floor, near the archives shelves, the best solution but again not up to standard. The available space is too small, so larger maps cannot be repaired and lamination is out of the question, while the fire hazard cannot be fully eliminated.

I would like to stress that as the temporary housing of the National Archives at the National Library which is the only possible solution at the moment, is not adequate, every endeavour should be made to transfer the NARC to its new building as soon as possible, so that it will come up to normal archival requirements.

(2) Future NARC buildings

The main NARC building should in my opinion be located in the centre of the city, near the main government departments or near (not in) the University of Singa­pore, which is some h miles away from the city centre. The NARC building to be built in 19S9» should have two storeys for the administrative sections, including exhibition and lecture halls, as well as for the repository, each floor having a total space of about 10,000 square feet. The floors of the repository should be pre-constructed to carry the heavy load of compactus shelving.

Next a Records Repository of 30»000-50,000 square feet storage space should be made available between 1975 a n d 1980. This repository, planned for temporary storage of intermediate records, is a purely utilitarian structure. It could be situated on the outskirts of the town, and an existing building or hangar could be very well adapted for it.

Both buildings should be situated in such a way that future extension is possible.

Meanwhile a temporary solution might soon be necessary to prevent an over­flowing of intermediate records at the National Library, pending the readying of the NARC Building in 1969 (see the previous paragraph). Any evacuated government building would do provided the minimum standard for preservation, safety from hazards and security are met.

I may end this rather utilitarian paragraph with a few remarks about the character of the main NARC building.

It has been said that "the chief monument of the history of a nation is its archives". Singapore can be proud of its unique series of archives, spanning more than one and a half centuries. These archives are public property and will accumulate continuously. If they are to serve as a monument and symbol of the history of the Republic, the external features of the future NARC building should express the genius of the nation and the people it serves. Of course it is up to the architect to try and find the right expression in steel and concrete, but I feel this aspect should not be left unmentioned.

Another aspect is that the Director of the NARC should be consulted in the planning of its building and that his knowledge of the problems of arcliival management - the space needed to perform various archival functions and to house various archival materials - should be fully taken into account by the architect. An archival building, like a library, should literally be planned from within so the four "fundamentals" can be provided for: efficient space distribution, service facilities, damage and climate prevention, and security.

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(3) Shelving and boxing

The future NARC repository should be equipped with semi-automatic compactus shelving. The initial cost of this type of shelving is higher, but the repository as such can be about half the size of a repository equipped with static shelving of the same capacity. The NARC repository will naturally be air-conditioned and. I need not explain that the costs of air-conditioning a compactus-shelved-repository are also correspondingly lower, equipment as well as running costs. Last but not least, compactus shelving reduces security rislcs and expenditure as it can be separately locked per block of shelves as standard equipment.

The best way to keep the files is in folded cardboard boxes of uniform size (7 x 10 x 15 inches). These boxes can easily be made in quantities by the Junior staff, provided with some simple equipment. The boses are cheap, easy to handle and they keep out the dust. In case of transfer of files the boxes can be unfolded flat for easy transportation to the packing site. I have handed a sample box to the Director of the National Library.

If my advice to make use of these boxes is accepted, the most efficient way of constructing the NARC repository would be based on the size of the boxes as this would determine the length, the depth and height of the shelving sections (36 x 16 x 12 inches), the height of the racks within easy reach of local staff and lastly, the floor to ceiling height of the repository floors, so that no space is wasted. By planning from within (see the previous paragraph) in this way the most efficient repository space and structure can be obtained at the lowest cost.

On the other hand, the Records Repository should be fitted with static shelving, as it need not be air-conditioned. Steel shelving should be preferred to reduce vermin frequency, but not all shelving need be steel, as the incoming records, which will be weeded out at a later stage, could be stored on wood for the first few years. As soon as the valuable records have been weeded out, and thoroughly cleaned and fumigated, they should be boxes and placed on steel shelves.

(h) Air-conditioning, temperature, humidity and vermin control

The Report of the National Library Board for 1960-1963 stated that in the stacks where de-humidification as well as cooling is of paramount importance, the plant is so inefficient that the valuable historical collection continues to be infested by insects and a general decay of the unique archives has not been arrested. The Board found "the air cooling and ventilation ... almost totally unsatisfactory".

Apparently the capacity of the air-conditioning plant has never been adequate. Only lately, as a result of the remonstrations and complaints of the Director of the National Library the cooling has indeed improved but it is still below standard. I have noted that in May last the air-conditioning plant has been out of order for 5 consecutive days and that the inside temperature rose to 88°P, while in June the temperature fluctuated between 84* and 80°P. On 20 July last, after re-adjustment of the plant the temperature went down to a daily average of 75 °F at eleven a.m. I need not stress that this average is still too high while the temperature level also reacts too much to outside conditions, indicating that the repository of the National Library is not sufficiently "temperature tight". Tie daily fluctuations in temperature are indeed injurious to the physical condition of the archives, as they affect the fibres of the paper in the long run.

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In this connexion I would like to note that microfilms, of which the National Library holds more than UOO,GOO feet, require an ambient temperature of not higher than 68CF and a relative humidity not exceeding 6c$. The life span of microfilms is much reduced if these levels are exceeded for any length of time.

I have not been able to check the humidity in the repository as no hydrograph was available.

The presence of insects (bookworms, silverfish andcoekroat3É)Cí3) is evident though comparatively limited, while rodents are also not missing. Since March last rat poison is provided throughout the building bub one or two dead rats are still found every month.

I have not been able to check the percentage of chemicals and/or salt in the air (the National Library is situated quite near to the seafront) which can also be damaging to archives.

(5) Security, fire hazard and flooding

I would like to stress the necessity of providing for good security measures against the possibilities of theft, sale and other illegal manipulations of important documents. Only if the external and internal security is reliable, will the NARC be in a position to perform its functions well, enabling the Director to carry out a comprehensive records management programme for all public offices, including security-sensitive departments like Internal Affairs and Defence, Foreign Affairs and Police. This implies that the entry to the repositories is restricted to staff that has received security training, while the repositories and the shelving should have separate locking systems.

As a matter of course, the NARC Building as well as the future Records Repository should be protected also against the hazards of fire and flooding. It is not altogether superfluous to mention these hazards as fires have occurred at th-new Broadcasting Division buildings in 1965 and 19^7, while the main administrative building in the centre of the city is liable to flooding (see also Annex NoJV ).

For the sake of completeness I may mention also that the repositories of the NARC building should be built along the East-West axis and all precautions against any excess of sunlight taken.

(m) Archives and Records Committee

The NARC Bill envisages the establishment of an advisory Archives and Records Committee, consisting of the Director as Chairman and five other members (clause 5)« I would like to suggest that this Committee be put up without delay after the NARC Bill has been enacted and that the Director of the National Library and the Head of the Department of History, University of Singapore be among its members. The Committee could then advise on the priority lists .for transfer of archives and of records from ''emergency cases", on microfilming, on disposal lists and schedules for intermediate records and on the estimates for 19^9» which should carry the funds for the new NARC building.

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(n) NARC bv.dgets 1967-1958

The Director, National Library ha& presented the following estimâtes for the NARC to the Government:

1. Budget 1967

Staff (for part of the year) $10,6l9 Office machines and special equipment li37^ Administration 2,000 Binding & repair c-quipment 1,000

$1^,993

These funds will be obtained from the National Library budget 19^7» through virement. -

2. Budget 1968

Staff $29,730 Office equipment 500 Shelving and other specialist equipment ^,050 Administration 3,250 Binding & Repair Equipment 4,000

151,530

In 1968 the NARC will be introduced to the budget as a separate department.

(3) Remarks:

(a) the Director's salary ($1,100-$1,420 monthly)is not included in these estimates;

(b) detailed lists of the required equipment have been compiled;

(c) some equipment (fans, lamps, etc.) will be obtained direct from the Central Supply Office;

(d) the Treasury appears to agree to the above estimates, but informed the Director National Library recently that "action will be proceeded with on the passing of the NARC Bill by Parliament";

(e) as long as the NARC is housed in the National Library, i.e. till 1969, the administrative routine work, including accounting, will be performed by the Library staff.

(o) Manual of Office Procedure

In order to promote economy and efficiency in the administration, resulting from a successful records management programme, I may suggest that the Director of the NARC in due time considers and discusses the modernization of the out­dated general administrative instructions with the Organization and Methods Branch. In Malaysia the relative paragraphs of the fairly recent Manual of Office Procedure have also been overhauled in consultation with its Organisation and Methods Division.

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(p) Lectures; article

At the request of the Library Association of Singapore, I have given two lectures on: (1) Archives and Records Management: a General Introduction and (2) The Public Archives and Records of Singapore. The lectures were well attended. Thanks to the co-operation of the National Library I could show a number of slides of Singapore Archives.

The editor of the Journal of the Singapore Library Association has meanwhile invited me to contribute an article on the Archives and Records of Singapore. I intend to write the article during my return trip to Europe.

k. RECOMMENDATIONS

Résumé

I The important and unique Public Archives of Singapore urgently require adequate management.

II An Archives and Records Management Act should be passed without delay.

III A National Archives and Records Centre (NARC) should be established.

IV The authority as to the preservation and disposal of records should be vested straightaway in the Director of the NARC, advised by an Archives and Records Committee.

V A programme for the repair and preservation of the valuable archives should be p].anned and put into operation to prevent further detorlof&tion.

VI Microfilming of archives should be continued.

VII A comprehensive records management campaign, which would be of adminis­trative and economical benefit, should be planned for the near future.

VIII Economic and business records, and private papers of VTP citizens should also be preserved in the NARC.

IX A List of Holdings should be prepared as soon as possible, being the primary introduction to the archival material for documentation and reference purposes.

X A programme for the retrieval of historical material abroad should be planned.

XI Two archival buildings should be set up:

(1) the NARC building in 1969, and (2) a Records Repository about 1975-

XII The NARC should promote historical documentation and research in co­operation with the Singapore University and other interested institutions.

XIII An outside archival and records management expert should be assigned to Singapore for at least one year.

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XXV Tlie NARC should play an active role In the progressive development of the regional and international archival co-operation.

XV The establishment of an archives and libx'ary school for South East Asia should bs taken into consideration in the near future.

RECOMMENDATION I

Singapore was founded in 18.19» but its archives go back to l800 in unbroken series. These unique archival holdings are the principal source of documentation for the history of Singapore and also contain many records concerning surrounding regions and countries, such as Panang, Malacca, Malaya, Serawak, Brunei, Indonesia and even far away Cocos Islands.

Some UOO linear feet of the older archives are provisionally stored in the book repository of the National Library. Part of these archives are in urgent need of major restoration, many more require minor repairs. An estimated 3500 linear feet of pre-war archives are kept elsewhere and should be transferred as soon as possible, as their condition is worse still.

Therefore an adequate archives management policy and programme is urgently needed, as a first priority. For estimated costs see below.

RECOMMENDATION IT

It goes without saying, that an Archives and Records Management Act would provide the administrative and legal basis for the necessary development of an archives and records management system.

Meanwhile I have been informed that the National Archives and Records Centre Act, No. 22 of 1967 has been enacted on 12.9.67. This act, in the formulation of which I have had the pleasure to advise and assist, now provides the firm founda­tion for an adequate archival and records management programme and clearly states the intent and the obligations of the Government of Singapore in this respect. This recommendation has therefore in the meantime been fulfilled by the Government.

The text of the Act conforms to the text of the NARC Bill, attached to my report as Annex No. I.

RECOMMENDATION III

The NARC Act obliges the Government to establish a National Archives and Records Centre, wherein shall be stored and preserved public archives and records. The establishment of the NARC is of firrt priority. The administrative costs have been estimated:

for 1967 S,pore $ 1^.993 " 1968 " " lU.530 " 1969 M n 100.000 (transfer to new bulldlnc) " I97O " " 120.000

Meanwhile I have been informed that the Government has accepted the estimates for I907-I968, except for some minor adjustments.

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RECOMMENDATION IV

Heads of departments of the Singapore Government are up to now legally respon­sible for ensuring that the records not required on administrative or historical grounds are destroyed, and that records of historical value are transferred to the National Library. This system, which has been rather poorly executed, is not acceptable as administrative officials are often the worst judges of which files are of historical importance and which may with safety be destroyed.

The new NARC Act has done away with this onerous practice. The authority as to which records shall be preserved and which shall be disposed of is now vested solely in the Director NARC.

It need not be stressed that the decision to destroy records is a difficult one to take, because it is final and irrevocable. Therefore the Director should ask for the advice of a committee in which Parliament and University would be represented, before taking his decision. It is satisfactory to note that the new NARC Act indeed requires the establishment of an Archives and Records Committee, consisting of the Director NARC as chairman and five other members.

RECOMMENDATION V

As the Singapore Archives have been neglected for a long time, they now require Jimediate attention and continuous care to prevent further deterioration. Particu­larly in a humid tropical climate with hordes of voracious vermin around it is essential to look after the physical well-being of the valuable archival holdings. To exercise this care binders and restorers will have to be trained and a spacious, well equipped workshop set up.

Taking into account the vast amount of archives awaiting minor and major repair a systematic repair programme will have to be planned making full use of the limited staff and resources, based on a descriptive survey of necessary repairs and a well considered priority list. The NARC Act empowers the Director to bind or repair any public records which have been transferred to the Centre.

Repair and preservation must naturally be considered of first priority, but the initial implementation will be determined mainly by availability and training of staff and setting up of a workshop.

Estimated costs: for I967 S'pore $ 2700.— " 1968 " " 9020.--

which are included in the expenditure mentioned under Recommendation III.

RECOMMENDATION VT

The kOO linear feet of archives now kept at the National Library have all been microfilmed. As some 3500 linear feet will have to be transferred in the near future a priority list for microfilm reproduction should be composed. Based on this list the future microfilm capacity of the NARC could be established and a long term estimate made for adequate funds, staff and equipment.

Serial No. 32U

- 26 -

It is not feasible to provide an estimate of costs now, as this will be mainly determined by the future decision whether the National Library and the NARC will have a microfilm unit each or whether one combined unit for the two would be possible. This decision will be made in 1969» when the NARC will move into its own building.

Meanwhile a microfilm reader-printer is urgently needed, so that research students can obtain positive copies of the archival microfilms straightaway. The provision of this reader-printer is of first priority. Estimated cost US $5*000.00, including additional equipment.

It should be noted that government charges for microfilm reproduction are unusually high in Singapore, and that remission of fees for scholarly purposes is non-existent. As the high reproduction rate is not conducive to the supply of information and documentation from the archives, a substantial reduction should be considered by the Government.

RECOMMENDATION VTI

As Singapore is a compact administrative unit - all departments being situated close together within the city limits - a comprehensive records management campaign would quickly yield results, by improving administrative methods and by reducing expenditure through better use of manpower and valuable office space. Direct financial gain might even be obtained through the sale of large quantities of shredded non-current records, which are now stored away or burned.

The NARC Act obliges the Director to conduct a records management programme for the efficient creation, utilization, maintenance, retention, preservation and disposal of records. In due time disposal lists and à general disposal schedule should be prepared. Furthermore a Records Service should be set up to which so-called Intermediate records can be transferred, available on loan to the department concerned. As has been the case elsewhere, the establishment of a Records Service will drastically reduce searching time and clear valuable office space.

The records management programme and the Records Service can only be started after the NARC has been established. They are therefore of second priority. Cost will be limited to one or two clerical staff and shelving space according to needs.

RECOMMENDATION VIII

Singapore has been a commercial and trade centre for nearly one and a half centuries. An investigation among its many banks, trading houses, shipping firms and chambers of commerce will undoubtedly provide a rich yield of archival material containing widely divergent historical, economical and international trade documen­tation. Though much of the records were lost during World War II, churches, missionary aad other benevolent societies, universities, colleges and schools, clubs and associations may still hold valuable archival material of primary importance for social research.

Last but not least private papers of important historical personalities and pioneer families should be included in the NARCs sphere of interest.

Unless a special case turns up, this recommandation has second priority. No extra expenditure should be involved.

Serial No. J2k

- 27 -

RECOMMENDATION IX

A comprehensive List of Holdings could be fairly quickly composed and published, and would prove to be an excellent introduction to the archives for local research as well as a boon to overseas historians. So far the general researcher or the administrative officer has no overall means of orientation or guidance to the extensive archival holdings. Composing this List of Holdings should have first priority.

The publication of the List of Holdings could be followed up by publishing from time to time the original indexes or list of contents still available in a good many Nineteenth century archival volumes. This work has second priority.

As these lists could be published as annexes to the prescribed Annual Report, the cost would be nil.

RECOMMENDATION X

As a consequence of losses suffered during World War II, the Singapore Archives have many gaps. Copies of the missing material could be found in the Public Records Office, London, the National Archives of India and similar institutions. As a rule no transfer of originals is possible, but microfilm copies could be provided. Copying by microfilm or otherwise, however requires funds and therefore a vote on the subject should be included annually in the NARC budget.

Retrieval of lost archives is mainly a matter of long term, international co-operation between archival institutions and must therefore be considered of ¿econd priority. Cost: US $1,000.— should be included annually in the NARC budget. In case large quantities of archival material abroad would have to be microfilmed, requesting financial assistance from third parties is recommended.

RECOMMENDATION XI

The Singapore Archives are temporarily but not adequately stocked in the National Library book repository and will have to be removed in I969 as by that time the Library will urgently need the archives shelves for storage of its expanding collections.

Two archival buildings should be set up:

(1) the NARC building in 1969, which should have two storeys of about 10,000 square feet each. The floors of the air-conditioned repository should be pre-constructed to carry the heavy load of compactus shelving. The erection of this building has first priority. Estimated cost of building with con-pactus shelving and air-conditioning plant: S'pore $500,000 to $500,000.

(2) a Records Repository of 30,000 to 50,000 square feet storage space about 1975» for storage of intermediate records. No air-conditioning is re­quired, so an existing building or hangar could be used, or adapted. Cost estimate depends on availability of buildings by then and amount of static shelving needed.

Serial No. J2k

- 9Q -

RECOMMENDATION XII

An efficiently operated archival and records management system is essential for academic documentation and research. This well-knowi fact has been repeatedly stressed by the University of Singapore. A programme cf historical documentation, reference and research should be promoted by the NARC as soon as competent staff is available, in co-operation with the University and other interested institutions (such as the university of Malaya and the National Archives of Malaysia) and advised by the Archives and Records Committee. In younger countries particularly, where the "present" becomes the "past" more quickly than elsewhere, the study and research of recent records and "up-to-yesterday" documentation is increasingly valued. The amazing growth of the number of requests for historical information and documentation elsewhere in the region is ample proof of the urgent needs in this field. It appears to be the normal consequence of the development of local academic research and the general interest in local history, combined with a rapid increase of historical interest abroad.

RECOMMENDATION XIII

As there is no local person in Singapore qualified as an archivist it is recommended that a long term expert on archives and records management be assigned to Singapore as early as possible in 19¿>9> perhaps under Unescopcs conditions. The expert should be appointed Director of the National Archives and Records Centre, Singapore.

The functions and duties of the Director are stated in detail in the various sections of the NARC Act: a schedule of duties is attached as Annex No.VII to my report. In addition to these duties the Unescopas expert will advise on the construction of the NARC building and will train local staff.

The qualifications for the expert are:

(1) experience as head of an archival institution; (2) wide knowledge of archival and records management techniques and

practices; (3) training capabilities; (h) some knowledge of the history of South East Asia in general and of

Singapore and Malaysia in particular. As to languages, English and Malay are essential, while additional knowledge of Chinese, Dutch, French or Portuguese is desirable.

The assignment of the expert has first priority as it is indispensable and most urgent for the establishment of the Singapore archives and records aanasement.

A local counterpart should be appointed in due time to take over from the expert after training on the spot and abroad. Senior and Junior staff (.12 officers in all) will be available to assist the expert in his functions and duties as Director of the NARC. A local University graduate with honours in history will be appointed Senior Archives Officer on her return to Singapore after completing a diploma course in archives abroad, under the Colombo Plan.

In addition a fellowship of six to nine months in archives and records management for the counterpart and/or other local staff would be most useful. Ihis fellowship must be considered of second priority.

Serial No. 32k

- 29 -

RECOMMENDATION XIV

Before long international archival co-operation in South East Asia will develop into a definite pattern of relations and co-ordination through the establishment of the regional branch of the International Council on Archives. Unesco has agreed to furnish US $2,000.00 to aid in the establishment of the Council by providing assistance for a first Interregional Archives Conference in 1968. Obviously the NARC can derive much benefit from this co-operation and exchange of experience, particularly as to microfilm reproduction as well as repair and preservation of archives under tropical conditions.

Once the NARC has been fully established it should actively participate in the fast growing regional and international co-operation in archives and records management.

RECOMMENDATION XV

There is every indication that mutual interest in archives and libraries is growing, not only in Singapore and West- Malaysia but also in Thailand, Brunei and Serawak. In the library field an exchange of ideas and experience through meetings and of training through visits and scholarships is developing. Already a shortage of qualified librarians has become evident. Once the Regional Branch of the I.C.A. has been established, the demand for qualified archivists will undoubtedly also become apparent more or less as a regional problem.

Therefore the establishment of an Archives and Library School at university level should be taken into consideration in the near future by the South East Asia Branch of the I.C.A. It has been estimated that if present plans are realized, within the next ten years more than a hundred posts for librarians and archivists would be available in Singapore and Malaysia alone. If for that reason it would be considered feasible to establish a regional Archives and Library School in the near future and the teaching medium would be English as a matter of course, not only the above-mentioned countries,but also Indonesia, the Philippines, Burma and perhaps Cambodia could benefit from it for the training of their librarians and archivists. A problem would be posed, however by the fact that in a few of the S.E.A. countries the primary foreign language is French.

The teaching staff could in due time surely be recruited locally, assisted from time to time by a visiting expert. The National Archives of Malaysia has recently started a bi-annual fortnightly course in records management for administrative officers, during which half a dozen of its senior staff are giving lectures on a number of subjects. The success of this course is a clear indication of future possibilities.

As the School would be incorporated in the University (or the Library section in the University of Singapore and the Archives section in the University of Malaya, in correlation with the local library and archival institutions) the direct expenditure involved would be rather low. It is not feasible however to make an estimate of costs now.

Por ad hoc training of local staff in Singapore see Recommendation XIII.

Serial No. 32U

A N N E X E S

ANNEX I

/íWi 0r\à National/Records Centre Bill

BUt No. 17/Í7.

Read the first time on 29th June, 1967.

A BILL intituled

I ftrcViwes A n Act to establish a National /Records Centre for the Qnol purpose of providing for the custody and preservation of put>\»c arcKwti» ^ ^

public records of Singapore.

Be it enacted by the President with the advice and consent of the Parliament of Singapore, as follows : —

ftrcVw^t^ 1. This Act m a y be cited as the National/Records Centre short title ftrxc* Act, 1967, and shall c o m e into operation on such date as ^1

ed

n-¿^"nt

5 the Minister m a y , by notification in the Gazette, appoint.

A r 2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires — interpre-

r ^ t t "Centre" means the National/Records Centre estab- tatl°n' lished under section 3 of this Act;

"current records" means those public records which lo are preserved by the departments which produce

or receive them, because they are required for r reference in order to complete the business to which fk,„L . they relate;

a««* "Director" means the Director of National/Records • is appointed under section 4 of this Act;

"intermediate records" means those public records which although no longer required as current

t?) Koue. been +r ns|*rre<A "to +V\<, NJA+.O«^ A rcVuoe-4

*«A «ecorA« Ctn+r t or a ^ - ^ f U c « 4< +Wt

l>'rec+or W \ A ^ f,ov* 4 , T O t + c + , M e ¿ , , t c + .

2

records, cannot be destroyed, either-because they possess contemporary value or because they have been assessed as suitable, after further considera­tion and classification, for eventual inclusion in the Centre;

"public archives" m e a n s those public records which — (cr) are m o r e than twenty-five years old; « s é (6) are specified by the Director as being of

enduring national or historical value; -H— -H— an<A

¿ f W W w c * «not h

ft«-V\,

public office" m e a n s any department, office, institu­tion, agency, commission, board, corporation, local authority or statutory b o d y or any other office of the G o v e r n m e n t or branch or sub-division thereof, and includes any other b o d y as the President m a y , b y notification in the Gazette, declare to be a public office;

public records" m e a n s papers, documents , records, registers, printed materials, books , m a p s , plans, drawings, photographs, micro-films, cinematograph films a n d sound recordings of any kind whatso­ever, produced or received by any public office in the transaction of official business, or b y any officer in the course of his official duties,' a n d includes current records, intermediate records and public archives;

"Records C o m m i t t e e " m e a n s the C o m m i t t e e established under section 5 of this Act.

Í Esteblish-

f, ment of HrtHitftt National

Centre.

<*io*e Appoint­ment of Director.

Ar£.V\tO«.fc 4Y10l

/ *

10

IS

20

25

/

\»\>c<. £ûroVu

3. There shall be established a National/Records Centre, wherein shall be stored and preserved public/records.

4.—(1) The Minister shall appoint a Director of National A o Records w h o —

(a) shall direct, m a n a g e and control the Centre; (b) shall examine the public records in any pyblic office

and shall advise such office as to the care and custody thereof; 35

(c) shall preserve, describe and arrange all public records;

, (d) shall accept, store and preserve any public records received b y the Centre;

3

(e) shall conduct a records m a n a g e m e n t p r o g r a m m e for the efficient creation, utilization, mainten­ance, retention, preservation and disposal of public records;

5 (/) shall, at the request of any administrative head of a public office, return any public records trans­ferred from that office to the Centre for such period as m a y be agreed u p o n and subject to such conditions as the Director m a y prescribe;

10 (g) shall publish guides, inventories and other publica-/ . tions as are required from time to time to m a k e

^\\o\ <iu\^s k n o w n the contento of the Centre;

(h) m a y , if in his opinion it is necessary for their better preservation, bind or repair any public records

is which have been transferred to the Centre; (i) m a y , subject to the terms and conditions, if any, on

r which they were acquired, reproduce or publish /BrcYxxiK* a n y p u b H c roofido;

i- (/') m a y m a k e available for inspection, for the purpose j ùrcVwts 20 of reference or research, any public recpda;

(k) m a y acquire by purchase, donation, bequest or otherwise any d o c u m e n t , b o o k or other material which in the opinion of the Director is or is likely to be of enduring or historical value; and

25 (/) m a y perform such other functions as are necessary for the purpose of the direction, m a n a g e m e n t and control of the Centre.

(2) T h e provisions of paragraph (/) of subsection (1) of this section shall not be taken to require the Director to

30 return any public records the condition of which does not warrant their removal out of the Centre.

(3) Nothing in this section shall be d e e m e d to authorise the Director to inspect the contents of any public records that are classified as secret or confidential, except with the

j5 consent of the administrative head of the public office having the custody thereof.

/a«\ 5.—(1) There shall be established £ Records C o m m i t t e e , Establish­m e n t s ~ which shall consist of the Director as C h a i r m a n and five Records a

<x*\tl other m e m b e r s to be appointed by the Minister. committee.

40 (2) A m e m b e r of the C o m m i t t e e shall hold office for such time as the Minister m a y direct and shall receive n o remuneration for his services.

4

Appoint­ment of officers.

f, M o r e -VVw»»\ i . „ public

-tv»«.»\+^.4vg t records.

Transfer of public archives and inter­mediate

Return of illegally removed public records.

Destruction or disposal of public records only on authority of Director.

15

(3) T h e function of the Commit tee shall be to advise the Director on the carrying out of his functions under this Act.

(4) Three m e m b e r s of the Committee shall form a q u o r u m .

(5) T h e Commit tee shall determine its o w n procedure. 5

6. T h e Minister m a y from time to time appoint such officers as are necessary to assist the Director in the carry­ing out of his functions under this Act.

7.—(1) A n y public aronives and any intermediate public records which in the opinion of the Director are of sufficient io value to warrant their preservation shall be transferred to the Centre.

(2) It shall be lawful for the Director to defer the transfer of any public archives or intermediate public recoma to the Centre where he is satisfied that by reason of the nature of the records the immediate transfer would unduly prejudice the administration of any public service or would not be in the public interest.

8. T h e Director shall d e m a n d in writing and take steps for the return of any public records belonging to the G o v e r n m e n t that have been illegally removed from official custody.

9.—(1) N o person shall without the consent of the Director destroy or otherwise dispose of, or authorise the destruction or disposal of, any public records which are in 25

his possession or under his control.

(2) A n y person intending to destroy or dispose of or to authorise the destruction or disposal of any public records shall first notify the Director of the said intention and shall in such notification specify the nature of the public records in question.

(3) T h e Director m a y inspect any public records specified in any notification under subsection (2) of this section and shall if he requires such records to be m a d e available to h im, inform the person making such notification of such 35 requirement, a n d such public records shall be m a d e avail­able to the Director.

20

30

5

(4) T h e Director m a y authorise the destruction of a n y specified classes of public records w h i c h —

(a) by reason of their n u m b e r , kind or routine nature d o not in his opinion possess a n y enduring value

.5 for preservation as public records; a n d (b) are not required for reference purposes in any

public office after action on them is completed or after the expiration of such period of years from the date on which action on them is c o m ­

ió pleted as m a y be agreed upon between the Director and the administrative head of that public office.

10.—(1) N o person, w h o is not an officer of the Centre, inspection m a y inspect any public records, other than public archives, rÍcordshc

is which have been transferred to the Centre without the written authority of the Director.

(2) A n y person m a y , for the purpose of reference or research, inspect any public archives m a d e available to the public subject to —

20 (a) any conditions or restrictions imposed by the office, officer or person from w h o m they were acquired; and

(b) such conditions as the Director m a y consider neces­sary for their preservation.

25 (3) T h e Centre shall be open for the inspection of public records during such hours as m a y be fixed by the Director -with the approval of the Minister.

11. A n y copy of a public record which is certified by the Certified Director as a true copy of the original document shall be p°^ ic

of

30 admissible in a court of law. records. 12.—(1) T h e Director m a y f r o m t ime to t ime delegate in peiega-

writing subject to such conditions as h e m a y specify, a n y of Director's his p o w e r s u n d e r this A c t , a n d a n y person to w h o m those powers, p o w e r s are delegated m a y exercise those p o w e r s in the s a m e

35 m a n n e r a n d with the s a m e effect as if they h a d b e e n c o n ­ferred o n h i m b y this A c t .

(2) E v e r y person purporting to act pursuant to a n y delega­tion u n d e r this section shall, in the absence of proof to the contrary, b e p r e s u m e d to b e acting in accordance with the

40 terms of the delegation. (3) A n y delegation u n d e r this section m a y b e m a d e to a

person or class of persons b y n a m e or office.

6

Reproduc­tion of public records.

.(4) Every delegation under this section m a y be revoked by the Director at any time, and such delegation shall not pre­vent the Director from exercising the powers delegated.

13.—(1) N o person shall publish or reproduce the whole or any part of the contents of any public records which 5 have been transferred to the Centre except with the written consent of the Director and in accordance with such con­ditions as m a y be imposed by the Director or the person from w h o m they were acquired.

(2) Nothing in this section shall be construed as affecting 10 or extending the law relating to copyright.

of°exp rtn **• N o person shall without the written permission of of public the Director take or send out of Singapore any public records. record.

-4^W*f

Regulations. j5<—(j) j^e Minister m a y m a k e regulations for any 15 matter which m a y be prescribed under this Act and generally for the better carrying out of the objects and purposes of this Act.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, the regulations m a y — 20

(a) prescribe the fees to be charged by the Director for the certifying of copies of any public records and for the supply of photostMcopies of public records in the Centre; and

(b) provide for the exemption from the payment , in 25 whole or in part, of any fees for the making and certifying of copies of any public records or public archives in the Centre.

16. A n y person w h o contravenes any of the provisions of this Act shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable 30 on conviction to a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to both such fine and imprisonment.

17.—(1) T h e Director shall as soon as practicable in each year cause to be m a d e and transmitted to the Minister a 35 report dealing with the activities of the Centre during the preceding year.

(2) T h e Minister shall cause a copy of every such report to be presented to Parliament.

Penalties.

Annual report.

7

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT. This Bill seeks to establish a Centre for the custody and preservation of public

records. The Centre will be under the control of a Director to be appointed by / a A the Minister, The Director will be assisted by^¿. Records Committee consisting of

(Ww»x)ii> himself as Chairman and five other members to be appointed by the Minister. The Bill also sets out the powers of the Director and a penalty clause for the infringe­ment of any of the provisions of the Act or the regulations m a d e thereunder.

EXPENDITURE OF PUBUC MONEY. This Bill will involve the Government in extra financial expenditure, the exact

amount of which cannot at present be ascertained.

ANNEX II

Director, National Library to P.S, (Culture) - 8.7.67

(Attn: Mr. Christopher Hooi)

National Records Centre Bill

1. Please refer to our conversation yesterday morning regarding the National Records Centre Bill, which had its first reading in Parliament on 29.6.67. A copy of this Bill was received by me only on 6.7.67, and I would like to draw your attention to the following changes which had been made from the draft (ref: NL C10;5/62 of 3O.8.66, copy enc. ):

1. (a) The name of the Centre has been changed from "National Archives and Records Centre" to "National Records Centre". It is urged that the original name proposed, i.e. National Archives and Records Centre, be restored, as the archives should come first and are more important than the records. According to the Bill, public records become public archives when they are 25 years old and specified as being of enduring national or historical value. The Singapore Archives already comprise highly important and unique series of historical documents going back to I8OO, to be preserved for all time in the Centre. As these archives are part and parcel of Singapore's national heritage and intrinsically of more importance than most contemporary records, the word "archives" needs to be retained in the name of the Centre.

Prom an international point of view, this must also be considered a backward step. All Commonwealth countries that have recently established archival institu­tions have called them National Archives, e.g. Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Malaysia.

(b) Following on the retention of the original name for the Centre, i.e. National Archives and Records Centre, the Director should be known as the Director of the National Archives and Records Centre, and the Committee set up under section 5 should be a National Archives and Records Committee.

2. In the definition of "public archives" on page 2 of the Bill (lines 6-9), the important clause (c) "have been transferred to the National Archives and Records Centre or any such place as the Director may from time to time direct;" has been left out. Normally, records become archives after their actual transfer to an archival institution, in this way establishing and maintaining their custodial integrity. This archival procedure, which is tho rule all over the world, needs to be provided for by this additional clause. Elsewhere the term "transfer(red)" omitted in the definition, has been retained in sections 7» 10 and 13, thus creating confusion.

3. The delicate balance in the use of the terms archives and records in the Draft has been upset in several sections of the Bill. The consequences of these changes in the text have apparently not been fully appreciated. While all public archives are part of public records, not all public records are public archives. Records can only become archives when they are at least 25 years old and should be available for inspection and publication by the public only then. By changing "archives" into "records" in section M l ) , clauses (j) and (i), this protective time limit has been done away with in the Bill, giving the public the opportunity to request access to or publication of any public records of any age. Nowehre in the world has this unlimited availability been established by law.

Serial No. ¿2k

Annex II - page 2

It should be noted, however, that In later sections of the Bill, such as section 10 and section 15(2)(b), the original distinction between records and archives has been maintained.

k. In section 4(1), the functions and the powers of the Director include (c) shall preserve, describe and arrange all public records. However, the immediate concern of the Director is limited to preserving, describing and arranging of public archives and not public records.

5- In section Ml)(g) "contents" should be "holdings". Contents may include many other items irrelevant to public archives or public records, e.g. equipment, library books, etc. "Contents" are used again in another text in the same section, clause (3), and this will undoubtedly lead to misunderstanding.

6. In section 15(2)(a), "photostat" should be changed to "photocopies". It Is also noted that the section relating to photocopying fees to be provided in accordance with those prescribed in the Pees Ordinance (section 15 of the original draft) has been omitted.

2. I enclose herewith a copy of the Bill with all the proposed amendments made in ink for your study and consideration.

3- As these amendments do not change the substance of the Bill but are required in order to clarify the difference between "public records" and "public archives" and make for more efficient working of the Act once it is passed, it is urged that appropriate steps be taken to have the Bill amended in time for its second and third readings in Parliament.

Sd. Mrs. Hedwig Anuar

Director,

National Library

EA/FRJV/ose

c.c. Dr. Verhoeven

Serial No. $2k

ANNEX III MC. 95/62

P.S. (Culture) to Permanent Secretaries Heads of Departments Chairmen, Statutory Boards

- 21.1+.67

1. It has been decided that a National Archives and Records Management Centre be established and housed for the time being at the National Library. All files and other government records which are no longer required for current use by Government Departments should be readied for appraisal by the Director of this Centre. Records of historical or national importance would be transferred to the centre in due time, while those of no importance would be destroyed when no longer of use to the department concerned.

2. In order to estimate the volume of the records to be appraised and eventually transferred, you are requested to complete the enclosed questionnaire in duplicate. It would be highly appreciated if one copy of the completed questionnaire could be returned to the Director of the National Library before May 31st. The other copy is for your retention.

3- The National Archives and Records Management Centre will be established in the rear future. Meanwhile heads of departments should note that no files or other public records may be destroyed without prior consultation with and the approval of the Director of the National Library,

h. Financial and personal records mentioned in G. 0. 5^2 continue to be preserved accordingly. Only if disposal at an early date is deemed necessary should the approval of the Director of the National Library be sought.

(Christopher Hooi) for Permanent Secretary

(Culture) Singapore.

/rk

Serial No. 32k

Telephone : 27355/6 A N N E X 3a

National Library Stamford Road, Singapore, 6.

N O T E S

1. READ THESE NOTES CAREFULLY BEFORE COMPLETING THIS FORM.

2. This form is to be completed in D U P L I C A T E - one copy to be sent direct to the Director of the National Library at the above address and the other to be retained by the Department concerned.

3- Where space is inadequate, answer should be typed on another sheet of paper and correctly numbered.

4. " Public Records " means papers, documents, records, registers, printed materials, books, maps, plans, drawings, photographs, microfilms, cinematograph films and sound recordings of any kind whatsoever, produced or received by any public office of the Singapore Government in the transaction of official busi­ness, or by any officer in the course of his official duties. Where in doubt, particulars should be given under Section VIII.

5. " Intermediate Records " applies to any public records which are no longer required for current use or refer­ence by the Department/Office, and/or which are rarely referred to during the past two years. These should be readied for appraisal, including classified records of all grades.

6. S E C T I O N I -

(i) N a m e of Department/Board to be given in full. If Division or Branch of a Department, it should be so stated. Abbreviations should not be used,

(ii) Exact location to be given -e.g. name and/or number of building ; number of the floor if building is more than a storey high ; street/road ; telephone number,

(iii) Floor Area of Office: the total space area occupied by the Department should be given in square feet.

7. S E C T I O N II -

A concise description of the functions of the Department should include the changes that have taken place since 1959.

8. S E C T I O N III -

(i) Measurement in linear feet: When the records are laid one on top of the other or placed on shelves like books, the thickness is the measure required,

(ii) Books, maps, plans, photographs, films and sound recordings may be given in numbers ; if so, must be so stated,

(iii) " X " - specify the type by name of any record not provided for, e.g. registers, plans, drawings, micro­films, cinematographic films, sound recordings, recorded tapes, gramophone records etc.

(iv) Earliest dates: the earliest date of each type of record which is available in the Department, (v) Number of years before records become non-current ; approximate average number of years that have

elapsed since the opening date of the record before it becomes non-current. The object is to find out the average life-span of a file.

9. S E C T I O N IV -

Storage and Control

(i) Where stored: state the location and the type of building, especially when not stored in the office itself,

(ii) H o w stored: specify the material and condition of storage equipment used, (iii) Floor area of storages: the area to be given in square feet.

Conditions of Storage Space/Room

(i) Insert a tick (v") under " Yes " or " N o " as the case may be.

Storage equipment purchased annually

(i) Shelves are measured in linear feet i.e. the total length of all shelves, (ii) " X " ' specify the type by name of any storage equipmept not provided for.

10. S E C T I O N V -

If the answer is H Yes ", give details e.g. the number and grades of staff and the quantity and types of office equipment affected.

11. S E C T I O N VI -

(a): State whether the records are torn and tattered, faded, insect infested, dirty, damp, mouldy etc.

12. S E C T I O N VII -

(b) : Give a short account of the system in operation. (c) : Specify whether the system described in (b) above helps to locate the non-current records when

required and the ease or difficulty of locating the records-

QUESTIONNAIRE ON NON-CURRENT PUBLIC RECORDS

READ CAREFULLY EXPLANATORY NOTES BEFORE COMPLETING THIS FORM IN DUPLICATE

Department reference N o .

'Department/Board : (* Delete whichever not applicable)

Location :

Date established (approximate year if pre-1945)!

Name(s) of predecessor department(s) with dates :

Controlling Officer : (Designation)

N o . of Staff : Division I Division II Division III Division IV

Floor Area of Office : Sq. feet

II Function of Department :

III Nature of Intermediate Records (See Note 5) :

Quantity measured in linear feet :

Approximate annual accrual :

Earliest dates :

No. of years before «ecords become non-current :

Files Books Printed Reports Maps

Photo­graphs X X Total

IV Storage and Control •• Conditions of Storage Space/Room:

Where stored :

How stored :

Floor Area of Storage : Sq. feet

Storage equipment purchased annually •'

Quantity

Cost

Wooden shelves

ft.

Wooden cabinets

No.

Steel shelves

ft.

Steel cabinets

No.

X X

Ventilation :

Windows

Ceiling fans

Exhaust fans

Air-conditioned

Dusty

Fire-proof

Damp or liable to flooding

Insects

Rodents

Yes No Number

V Are the records taking up office space that could be used for staff accommodation and/or office equipment?

VI Preservation and Disposal :

(a) Describe the physical condition of the records :

(b) Have any minor repairs (with scotch-tape, by pasting, sewing, etc.) been carried our ? If «o, how ?

(c) Have any records been disposed of ? If so, what were they, when and by whose authority ?

(d) Do you follow a disposal schedule or planned disposal programme? If so, attach copy showing date of formulation and types of records :

(e) Is this regularly carried out? How is destruction carried out? (e.g. burning, shredding, sale etc.):

(f) Have any records been transferred to other departments? Name of departments, type and quantity of records transferred :

L VII Checking and Reference •

(a) Officer responsible for records. His post and rank :

(b) How do you register your inward correspondence ?

(c) Are the records easily located if reference is required in your department ?

(d) Has reference been made during the last six months ?

(e) Are the records accessible to other departments, and/or members of the public for purposes of research ?

VIII Any observations, comments, questions ?

ANNEX IV

AUDIT DEPARTMENT P.O. Box 713 Singapore

Ref: No. AGS.60/60/II/QO

19 May 1967

Dr. P.R.J. Verhoeven, c/o National Library, Stamford Road, Singapore, 6.

Dear Dr. Verhoeven,

National Archives

1. Thank you for your letter (reference NL CIO3/62) dated 15th May, 1967. I return herewith your copy of Arkib Negara dan Rekod2 Tuan.

2. The Senior Officers of this department and I have gone through the booklet with great interest and we are unanimously of the view that the setting up of the National Archives and particularly the provision of a Records Management Service would be a great step forward in the right direction. I am aware that at the moment, much valuable office space are being used to provide storage space for records which are no longer currently needed. On the other hand, the Accountant-General for lack of space is forced to keep accounting records in a basement which is subject to flood and in fact some records were destroyed by flood waters, and recently he had to initiate the move to destroy records prematurely because of the lack of storage space. I am sure that when the National Archives and Records Management Service is set up and if the services provided are properly used, it would increase administra­tive efficiency.

3. I would recommend that:

(a) the objects of the National Archives and Records Management Service and the advantages to be derived by making full use of the services provided should be clearly explained to the departments;

(b) instructions should be issued under Treasury authority to require departments to make use of the services to be provided; and

(c) detailed instructions should be included to guide the department to ensure proper and effective use of the services.

Unless this is done, I am of the view that departments may not make full and effective use of the services.

Yours sincerely,

CKS/ph Serial No. J2k

Sd. Chee Keng Soon Ag. Director of Audit

ANNEX V

From: Dr. Verhoeven to Director, National Library

- 15.6.67

Advice on the publication of Tan Soo Chye's Index

1. Some time ago Professor Wang Gungwu, Head, Department of History, University of Malaya, suggested off-hand that this Index be published. It might be a good first, he thought, in a future series of publications by the NARC.

2. To my regret I must advise against publishing the Index' in its present state, as the text is not on the level required for an archival publication.

3. As I did not have more time, my opinion is based on sampling. Someone with enough time to go through the whole text might come across pages or chapters of a better quality.

k. First, some critical remarks as to form:

(a) the indication of sources is not consistent: the first 12^ pp. of the first volume have columns for Year, Vol., Page, while the following pages mention Ref(erence), Date;

(b) the numbering of pages in some of the volumes, which is utilized by the Index, needs checking (for example the page numbering of Volume A32 Jumps repeatedly without any apparent reason);

(c) the capitalization is not consistent;

(d) the titling of the headings (subjects) is not consistent.

These form flaws necessitate checking of all items in both volumes of the Index.

5. More fundamental are the criticisms as to contents:

(a) the Index has no lists of names, places and subjects;

(b) there are no cross-references (cross-referencing will moreover show the inconsistencies in subject titling).

6. The main critical remarks however concern the utilization of the source material. Mr. Tan has not Indicated his plan of action nor the guiding lines for the work nor what sources have bean fully covered. A certain maturing in the method of referenc­ing, and the mastery of source material is apparent as one glances through the pages of the Index, On the other hand, It is impossible now to find out why certain glaring omissions were not avoided, such as:

(a) the Land Records of Commissioner Young have been Included under 0 (1837-I839), but there is no explanation why the five volumes have not been described nor indexed;

Serial No. 32^

Annex V - page 2

(b) Vol. A,l Penang Consultât!ais, starts In Sept. 1805, at the very beginning of the Presidency, but this fact has not been acknowledged in the Index which gives 1806 as the first year;

(c) Vol. A,l has 53^ PP« (some pages missing) and only 27> entries in the Index (of which 8 are from 3 pages), while Vol. A,2 has only k entries out of 128 pp. Both volumes cover one full year (1805-IS06 and I807) and the original written index for l8ö7 which is bound in the volume, has more than ¿00 entries.'

7. I have not gone further into this matter, as I feel that these samples of criticism, taken at random, fully demonstrate that and why the T.S. C. Index in its present state is not ripe for publication. It will take quite an amount of time and effort to bring it up to standard. A more detailed critical review might even show that it would be more feasible to index the source material on an altogether new basis.

8. Before this could be considered, it would be most useful to compose first a Summary Inventory or at least a List of Holdings of all archival material up to 19^2. This could be readied fairly soon by the future archivist, and then published as a primary introduction to the holdings. When distributed, this List of Holdings would show prospective researchers, inside and out of the Republic, what they can expect to find in the NARC, including the holdings of a later date than I867.

9. Meanwhile the T.S.C- Index, notwithstanding its shortcomings, is still the best means of access to the contents of the holdings prior to 1867» The index is based on the arrangement in the List of Early Records in the Colonial Secretary's Library (I80O-I867), by S.G.H. Leyh, Singapore 1928. The source material (1622 archival volumes) is numbered accordingly.

10. The Index as such 3hould not be lent to the public, as it is in a rather bad condition, its pages being of inferior quality. Luckily it has been microfilmed, so any interested student should be referred to the microfilm copy.

11. I have noted that a number of the Consultations etc. still carry their original indexes, made at the time and quite well at that. I would suggest that the future archivist go through this material to consider whether an archival series might be composed from these indexes, a number of them to be published in one volume at a time.

Dr. P.R.J. Verhoeven

Serial No. $2k

ANNEX VI

List of Public Offices requesting transfer of their non-current records

1. Accountant-General Department of Broadcasting:

2T Administrative Division 3. Central Production Unit k. Registry of Business Names 5. Chief Buildings Surveyor Department 6. Ministry of Culture, Headquarters 7. Customs and Excise Department 8. District Office Katong 9. Economic Development Board

10. Ministry of Education 11. Ministry of Finance 12. Ministry of Health, Accounts Section

Housing and Development Board: 13. Secretariat lU. Building Department 15. I.B.M. Section 16. Alexandra Area Section 17. Estimates Department 18. Financial Area Section — Immigration Department:

19. Passport Section 20. Visa Section 21. Entry Permit Section 22. Inland Revenue Department

Ministry of Labour: 23. Central Registry 2k. Factory Inspectorate 25. Workmen's Compensation Section 26. Employment Exchange Section 27. Ministry of Law and National Development 28. National Development Division 29. Postal Services Department 50. Pablic Service Commission

Public Works Department: 31. Architectural Division 32. Works and Buildings Branch 33. Ministry of Social Affairs

Social Welfare Department: 3^. Children and Young Persons Section 35. Public Assistance Section 36. Counselling and Advice Section 37. Women and Girls Section 33. Children's Centres Geotion 39« Department of Statistics UO. Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Control Clinic kl. Telecommunications Department 14-2. Telephone Board 1*3. Timber Office IÄ7 Tourist Promotion Board Tuberculosis Control Unit

ANNEX VII

Schedule of Duties of the Director of the NARC, according to the National Archives and Records

Centre Act

I General

1. to direct, manage and control the National Archives and Records Centre, NARC (Section 4, 1, a);

2. to acquire by purchase, donation, bequest or otherwise any document, book or other material (4, 1, J);

3« to demand in writing and take steps for the return of any public records belonging to the Republic of Singapore that have been illegally removed from official custody (8);

4. to authorize the destruction of any specified classes of public records (9, 4);

5- to chair the Archives and Records Committee (5, a)j

6. to make each year a report dealing with the activities of the National Archives and Records Centre, to be laid before Parliament (17, l);

7- to establish and maintain international contacts and relations;

8. to perform such other functions as are necessary for the purpose of the direction, management and control of the NARC (4, 1, 1);

II Records Management

1. to examine any public records in the custody of a public office and to advise such office as to the care thereof (4, 1, b);

2. to accept, store and preserve any public records which are transferred to the NARC (4, 1, d);

3. to return temporarily at the request of the head of a public office any public records transferred from that office to the NARC, unless their condition does not warrant their removal (4, 1, f and 4, 2);

4. to conduct a records management programme for efficient creation, utilisation, maintenance, retention, preservation and disposal of public records (4, 1, e),

I H Archives Management

1. to preserve, describe and arrange all public archives (4, 1, c)j

2, to make available for inspection, for the purpose of reference or research, any public archives (4, 1, i);

Serial No. 324

Annex VII - page 2

3. to reproduce and publish any public arcliives (h, 1, h);

k. to publish guides, inventories and other publications to make known the holdings of the NARC (k, 1, k);

5. to conduct and supervise a programme of microfilming of fragile archives;

6. to supervise the binding, repair and preservation of archives and records ( , 1, g).

Serial No. $2k