Proposal

Binding the Books to Preserve it

Book can be called a documented record.  People may own books that had priceless values, that they want to keep for future use.  It also could be personal diaries, collection of cutting newspapers, personal records and many others that needed to be preserved properly.

This blog will present how and why learning to binding books is an important issue.  The National Archives Malaysia (NAM)  is chose to be a place to learn the process of binding.  Why NAM? NAM plays an important role in preserving the national documents, the "treasures" for future references.  It has a section which has expertise in the  process of preserving them. Though there is a website for the NAM, http://www.arkib.gov.my/home, the information on those preservation is not fully presented.

Goal and Objectives : 

1. To produce an interactive informational blog on binding
2. To identify the important of learning to bind as a way of preserving documents or books.
3. To acknowledge the important of NAM in preserving national documents.

Target audience : 

1. Students and librarians
2. Teachers (Art teachers may use the process of "binding" the books as part of their teaching topic)
3. Researchers
4. Those who are interested in preserving own historical documents (conservators).

Issues and Treatments : 

Having interviewed 20 people, only 15 said that they knew NAM and of that 5 knew a little bit of the function of it and 2 knew well about it. Though this survey may not be a reliable source, due to limited time, I would say that it is sad that not many Malaysians know about the important of this place as it is actually the TREASURES of the Malaysia Government Records. The records of Malaysian’s history such as the scroll of the Proclamation of Independence 1957 and Jawi Peranakan Newspaper 1888 are well kept here. The preservation and conservation of these archive materials are as important as preserving of the archeological heritage.

As to this, it is hope that this blog will be an agent to popularize archival heritage and raise the awareness of Malaysian citizens especially those youngsters to manipulate and use NAM as the vital reference place to get the first hand information of Malaysian achieves. 



References:

1. Arkib Negara Malaysia. Retrieved from http://www.arkib.gov.my/home
2. Interviewed staff of National Archives of Malaysia
3. Interviewed public about NAM and its function