National archives open in New Taipei City

2015-02-05

Taiwan’s first permanent national archives were inaugurated Feb. 3 in New Taipei City, bringing under the same roof historical records from the last three centuries.

Operated by the National Archives Administration under the National Development Council, the Xinzhuang District facility spans 4,773 square meters. If stacked one atop the other, stored files at maximum capacity would reach 60 times the height of Taipei 101.

NAA Director-general Chen Shu-lin said the state-of-art, climate-controlled repository cost NT$58.3 million (US$1.85 million). “It boasts eco-friendly features such as low power consumption and highly efficient air conditioning, both of which are expected to keep electricity bills to a minimum.”

The facility’s 16 kilometers of shelving contains documents transferred to the NAA after 25 years of storage by other government agencies. These records are categorized on the basis of their formats, including audio and video recordings, electronic data, and film and print.

According to Chen, it is expected that the archives will meet Taiwan’s needs until 2021. “After that, we will expand capacity to house additional documents awaiting transfer and preservation,” she said.

“In the long run, all national records currently stored in such institutions as Academia Historica, Academia Sinica, National Palace Museum and Taiwan Historica will come over to the national archives.”

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=227140&CtNode=413)