National Archives of Malawi

Overview

The National Archives of Malawi is a government department, currently within the Ministry of Local Government, Unity and Culture, based in Zomba. It serves as the official repository of public records and of records belonging to private institutions and individuals connected with the territory's activities, and as the legal deposit library for literature relating to the area.

History

The archive was established in Zomba in July 1947 as a Regional Branch of the then Central African Archives. In 1953, following the formation of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, it became a branch of the National Archives of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. After the Federation dissolved in December 1963, the Zomba branch became the National Archives of Malawi in January 1964.

Collections, Holdings, and Publications

The National Archives derives its mandate from statutes including the Printed Publications Act, which provides for newspaper registration, book publication, and preservation of printed works. Its functions include collecting historical manuscripts and conducting oral history research, maintaining a legal deposit library, registering newspapers published in Malawi, administering the ISBN system, and publishing the Malawi National Bibliography. The archive has undertaken digitization of endangered Native Authority records dating from 1891 to 1964.

Access and Usage

The archive provides authorized access to public archives and historical manuscripts for researchers, scholars, and the general public, along with a nationwide advisory service in records and archives management and reference services for government records and published information resources.