Assessing the extent to which the National Archives ad Records Service of South Africa has fulfilled its mandate of taking the archives to the people

Abstract

The National Archives and Records Service of South Africa (NARS) is sustained by public funds so that the records of enduring value of the nation can be preserved, made accessible and promoted to enhance their use by members of the public. Archives serve no purpose unless they are used. Outreach programmes are one of the ways of providing a unique opportunity to improve the public image of the archives repository, as well as to promote the awareness and use of archival holdings. This article assessed the extent to which NARS has taken the archives to the people. A survey using a purposive sample was conducted in 2009 and concluded that there was a need to promote NARS public image and the use of archival holdings through robust outreach programmes.