Records & Archives Reference Service (RECARS) (Pustaka Negeri Sarawak)

Overview

RECARS (Records and Archives Reference Service) is an online archival reference service operated by Pustaka Negeri Sarawak (the Sarawak State Library). It provides researchers with a systematic listing of records and archives held in the State Records Repository relating to the history of Sarawak, Malaysia. Users identify relevant materials through RECARS and then arrange to consult original documents at the State Records Repository in Kuching.

Institutional Background

RECARS is a function of the Depository Services Sector of Pustaka Negeri Sarawak. The sector is organized across three divisions: the Archives Management Division (AMD), the Records Management Division (RMD), and the Sarawakiana Division. The State Records Repository — the physical facility housing the documents — is located in Jalan Cahya Indah, Off Jalan Sultan Tengah, approximately 13 km from Kuching city. The three-storey repository building accommodates approximately 30 staff and holds state government records and Sarawakiana materials.

Pustaka Negeri Sarawak itself is headquartered in Petra Jaya, Kuching. Its depository mandate includes acquiring records created on or before 1963 from sources outside Sarawak or Malaysia, digitizing and microfilming materials of historical value to the state, and preserving public records more than twenty-five years old as directed by the Sarawak State Secretary.

Collections and Holdings

The RECARS collection covers records relating to the full span of Sarawak's modern history, organized into several categories:

• Departmental Records: Administrative files from the Brooke era, the Japanese Occupation (1941–1945), the post-war British colonial period, and early Malaysian statehood, including letters, reports, diaries, and photographs.
• Subject Records: Thematic files covering land development, immigration, oil and gas, and regional political matters including files related to the formation of Malaysia.
• Microfilm Collections: Runs of major Sarawak newspapers including the Sarawak Tribune (from 2002 onward) and See Hua Daily News, as well as colonial-era records covering 1870–1984.
• Migrated Archives: Copies of documents originally sent to the United Kingdom on the eve of de-colonisation and held by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, covering the colonial period from 1946 and the formation of Malaysia.
• External Archive Copies: Lists of archival materials at Rhodes House London relating to the Brooke era, and records from the Australian War Memorial covering the Japanese occupation and the British military administration of Borneo.

Notable Materials Related to Journalism and Media

The microfilm holdings include multi-year runs of Sarawak Tribune newspapers and See Hua Daily News, making RECARS a primary resource for researchers of Sarawak's print media history. Colonial-era administration files also contain press cuttings, reports, and correspondence relevant to the history of journalism in Sarawak and North Borneo.

Access and Usage

RECARS is accessible online at Pustaka Negeri Sarawak's website. Researchers browse the catalogue to identify documents, then visit the State Records Repository or submit requests for copies where services are available. Only pencils are permitted in the Research Room, and no more than five items may be consulted at one time. Reproduction of materials requires written permission from the Chief Executive Officer of Pustaka Negeri Sarawak.