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By:
Besarte Elshani
- March 18 2025 11: 00
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With the "Open Archives Week", the State Archives Agency of Kosovo, from today at noon, has opened its doors to the public so that they can follow the cycle of handling archival material until Friday. In the event that marks the 74th anniversary of the establishment of the state archives institution, it was announced that so far nearly 5 million documents have been digitized
With the "Open Archives Week", the State Archives Agency of Kosovo, from today at noon, has opened its doors to the public who can follow the cycle of handling archival material until Friday. At the event marking the 74th anniversary of the establishment of the state archival institution, it was announced that nearly 5 million documents have been digitized so far, while the Electronic Archival Material Management System has been launched.
On the 74th anniversary of the processing, restoration, protection and archiving activity, the State Archives Agency of Kosovo has launched activities for the “Open Archives Week”. It is a traditional event with which the institution celebrates each year of activity. It also highlights its achievements and challenges.
On Monday afternoon, at the premises of the state archival institution, the event was also a reflection of the Agency's work over the course of a year, which deals with valuable documents and collections about the historical past of society and the state.
Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti, while emphasizing the importance of the institution, said that archives are guardians of documentary heritage.
"This type of heritage is a fundamental testament to our culture and historical memory that must be transmitted to future generations in the best possible condition. Archives are the centers that bear the responsibility for handling, preserving and promoting the documentary heritage of a state and people," he said in his speech.
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"Open Archives Week" with 5 million documents digitized
He mentioned the adoption of the new law on archives as well as the adoption of eight sub-legal acts, which, as he said, "make this extremely important law fully enforceable, thus completing the legal reform in the field of archives."
"Secondly, Kosovo has adopted a long-term state strategy for the development of archives, clearly defining our state vision for the archival system for the period 2025-2031, but also beyond that. Thirdly, we have a significant improvement in the working conditions for staff and the conditions for the storage of archival material everywhere. Only in recent years have conditions improved and in some cases work continues, such as in the archival system buildings in Pristina, Peja, Gjakova, Mitrovica and Prizren," he said in his speech, while mentioning the achievements of the institution.
He also mentioned that the massive digitalization of archival material has affected numbers that were unimaginable years ago, the launch of the electronic system for managing archival material and the increase in the professional capacity of the State Archives Agency as successes of the institution. Two moments of pride, according to him, are the bringing of archival material from the northern municipalities to Pristina and the agreement with the Kosovo Post, which he said facilitates citizens' access to archival material for social and legal needs.
Also present was the acting Minister of the Ministry of Culture, Hajrulla Çeku.
The Secretary General of this ministry, Bislim Bislimi, said that the institution has so far digitized nearly 5 million documents in their digital registry.
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"In 2024 alone, after we began implementing the massive digitization project, we have digitized 2.5 million documents, while before the first quarter of 3 was even complete, another 2025 million was added to the 3.6 million already digitized, thus bringing us closer to the number of 1 million documents in our digital register or, expressed as a percentage of the archival material we have in the incoming inventory registers, over 5% of the total quantity," said Bislimi.
He announced that they are on the verge of launching the second phase of the building's renovation and that the project for the renovation of the archival material warehouses is ready, for which work is expected to begin this year. He said that recently, in some cities, work has been completed and in some, work is still underway to expand and renovate the archive storage spaces.
"In Gjakova, we have increased the operating space by nearly 800 square meters, in which works are already underway for renovation and full adaptation according to the standards for the management of archival storage sites. In Prizren, MCYS is investing rapidly in the restoration of more than 35 cultural heritage assets, and one of them is the former Barracks building, which after restoration will accommodate the Inter-Municipal Archive of Prizren. In Gjilan, we have signed a contract and developed a project for the construction of the Inter-Municipal Archive there, a modern building with over 4 thousand square meters," said Bislimi.
The Electronic Archival Material Management System was launched at this event. “Open Archives Week” is organized to raise public awareness about the importance and work of the archive as an institution.
It is traditionally held in March, in celebration of the founding anniversaries. This year, visits are open until March 21.
National Library – 81 years of heritage towards contemporary chapters
According to records, the Kosovo Archives began functioning on March 20, 1951, as an autonomous organizational entity/central institution of the then Kosovo, while three years earlier, in 1948, the Archives Center had already been established within the Provincial Directorate for Education and Culture. After the war of 1998 and 1999, the Kosovo Archives functioned as an institution within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports.
"The challenge remains the unsatisfactory level of investments made so far in the entire archival network, which speaks of a critical need to increase investments in the Government's list of priorities for archives, but also to increase serious cooperation with municipalities and other institutions with ASHAK, in the treatment of undelivered and unregulated archival material, etc.", it is written in the history of the Kosovo Archives Agency.
