The Finnish National Archives Service
preserves documentary cultural heritage
The task of Finland's National Archives Service is to ensure that documents belonging to the national cultural heritage are preserved and to promote their use for research. Research and development in the sector is also part of its remit.
The National Archives Service is a government body under the Ministry of Education, and it comprises the National Archives and the seven Provincial Archives operating under it.
The National Archives Service
- guides the records management and archives administration of authorities
- is responsible for the general development of archives administration
- ordinates which state and municipal administration documents should be permanently preserved.
The National Archives Service has statutory authority to issue binding regulations to the authorities, e.g., on permanent preservation of documents, archival premises, papers and writing materials for preparing of documents as well as on the registration and cataloguing of documents.
The National Archives Service receives and preserves records of state authorities with permanent preservation value, as well as obtains and preserves private archives of importance for the society and in research.
The National Archives Service ensures the availability of the preserved documents by making them available in reading rooms and partly also online.