Published: 11.06.2021.

Tasks of the National Archives of Latvia

(specified in Clauses 3.1.-3.21 of the Regulations of the National Archives of Latvia)

  1. to implement the accumulation, accounting and storage of the national documentary heritage, to approve a medium-term and long-term plan in the field of accumulation;
  2. to perform work for the identification of documents of the historical heritage of Latvia existing outside the Republic of Latvia, for the acquisition of documents or copies thereof;
  3. to determine the distribution of national documentary heritage documents among structural units;
  4. co-operates with the creators of the national documentary heritage in the issues of evaluation and accumulation of documents, advises institutions and private archives in the field of document and archive management;
  5. to make the harmonization provided for in the Archives Law in the field of document and archive management;
  6. to ensure optimal document storage conditions in archive repositories and preventive protection of documents, to carry out systematic monitoring of document storage conditions and to implement measures for their improvement;
  7. to check the existence and physical condition of the documents stored in the archives, if necessary, to take special measures for their search, as well as for the prevention of further damage;
  8. to perform restoration and conservation of documents, microfilming and digitization;
  9. to ensure the description of archival documents, to create information search tools and publicly available archive document accounting and scientific reference systems;
  10. to create and maintain a national register of documentary heritage;
  11. to organize the work of reading rooms in accordance with the procedure for the use of documents specified by the director of the archives;
  12. to provide archive information services, to create and maintain an archive home page;
  13. to prepare exhibitions of archive documents, to organize seminars, conferences, educational events on issues of document and archive management;
  14. to prepare and publish publications, reference and informative publications of historical sources, as well as research in archival science;
  15. to implement national and international projects;
  16. to issue permits for the temporary export of documents included in the national documentary heritage outside the Republic of Latvia;
  17. to maintain and develop the infrastructure necessary for the operation of the archive;
  18. to maintain and supplement the library of methodological and reference literature in the field of archives;
  19. to submit proposals to the Ministry of Culture for the development of regulatory enactments in matters related to the field of management of documents and archives and the creation of the national documentary heritage;
  20. to ensure the professional further education of civil servants and employees, as well as to organize the assessment of the qualification and performance of official duties of civil servants and employees;
  21. to perform other tasks specified in regulatory enactments.

Functions of the National Archives of Latvia

(specified in Section 20 of the Archives Law)

  1. to accumulate documents created in Latvia and outside Latvia with archival value;
  2. to ensure the availability of documents stored in the National Archives of Latvia by performing their evaluation, description and development of reference systems;
  3. to accept for safekeeping and preserve the documents accumulated in the National Archives of Latvia with archival value, to create a copy of the security and a fund of copies of use;
  4. to ensure the availability and use of archival documents, popularization and informing the public, to issue archival certificates, certified copies of documents, extracts and transcripts;
  5. to evaluate documents in accordance with the procedures specified in the Archives Law;
  6. to monitor the observance of document management procedures in institutions and - in the cases specified in the Archives Law - in accredited private archives, providing methodological assistance in the field of document and archive management;
  7. to carry out inspections in institutions in the field of document and archive management and - in the cases specified in the Archives Law - in accredited private archives in matters of document management and preservation, availability and use of national documentary heritage, to review administrative violation cases and impose administrative penalties;
  8. to accredit private archives;
  9. to carry out research and methodological work in the field of document and archive management;
  10. to issue written licenses for the use of documents accumulated in the National Archives of Latvia, the copyright or related rights of which belong to the state;
  11. to establish and maintain the necessary information systems for the performance of the functions specified in the Archives Law;
  12. to perform other functions specified by law.