National Archives Department

Back to govt portal

2

Electronic Archives System

Plugs

The rich history of Mauritius provides great impetus for the digitization of existing collection of old, rare and historical documents dating back to the early settlements of the island and region.  As such, there is a demand for such materials from researchers, historians, genealogists and students and academia not just within Mauritius but also from overseas. Making the holdings available online is one of the challenges being addressed by the National Archives.

The Electronic Archiving System (EAS) is one of the web based portals which has been developed to manage and preserve archival records of the National Archives Department. The portal and server is hosted at the Government Online Centre and is accessible to users, both local and international via internet. Users have to register and once their account has been activated, they can have access to the database of online records. Around 530,000 images have been digitized and uploaded on the EAS. The digitization project of the National Archives is seen as critical for the cultural heritage since digitization offers the greatest advantages in terms of space, storage, quality and access to the original documents. The objectives of the project are as follows:

  • Provision of online access to an ever increasing number of the holdings of the National Archives to a national and international audience via internet.
  • The preservation of the original records by reducing wear and tear of the originals.
  • Provision of access to those materials that can no longer be accessed in their original format.
  • Improvement of our service to customers by responding to their evolving expectations.
  • Promotion of online access to Government information to the public.