Mandate

The National Archives is the central place of deposit for records in various formats relating to the island of St. Kitts and to the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. Its mandate derives from The National Records and Archives Act, No.22 of 2001.

Statement of purpose

The National Archives of St. Kitts and Nevis seeks to collect original and unique archival records about the island of St. Kitts and the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.

Records may be internally transferred, gifted, deposited on long term loan or (exceptionally) purchased.

Acquisition

In its commitment to the preservation of government’s recorded memory, the National Archives acquires records:

– which document the deliberations, decisions and actions of government in relation to its assigned business functions, programs and activities, as well as records which establish the sovereignty, organization and administration of government;
– which provide government and the public with information about the policies, decisions and programs of government institutions over time for the purposes of review, scrutiny and understanding;
-which document the impact of government decision-making upon citizens and groups in St. Christopher and Nevis and the interaction between the public and the state;
– that are considered essential to protect the collective and individual rights and privileges of citizens and their social, cultural and physical environment;
– of national significance containing significant or unique information that will substantially enrich understanding about the Federation’s history, society, culture and people; and
– that the Government of St. Christopher and Nevis is required to maintain for a substantial period of time by law.

To these ends, the National Records and Archives Authority shall collect records received and maintained by:

– the office of the Prime Minister and of Cabinet
– any Ministry, Department, Commission, Committee, office and other body under the Government of St. Christopher and Nevis
– Any post representing the Government of St. Christopher and Nevis outside the country
– The St. Kitts and Nevis Defense Force and Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force
– Parliament or Electoral Commission
– Court of Appeal, High Court or any Court or tribunal with jurisdiction within St. Christopher and Nevis
– District or municipal authorities
– Public Corporations and organizations
– Predecessor or successor institutions to the ones already listed
– Records of Governors-General, Prime Ministers, Ministers of Government, Judges of the High Court whose records complement the official record.

As well as:

– Private records created by a person, family or a corporate body within St. Kitts and Nevis,.
– Collections of records from a variety of sources acquired for a specific purpose or use,
– Discrete items where the actual intrinsic or historical value of the record is great enough to merit its long-term preservation,
– Records discovered and confiscated in the process of illegal exportation from St. Kitts and Nevis.

De-accessioning

The National Archives reserves the right to de-accession and dispose of items in its collection and may de-accession an object or document or papers for the following reasons:

– it does not fit the Collection Policy;
– it is damaged or decayed beyond repair;
– it is a lesser quality duplicate of another object or item owned by the Archives;
– it cannot be adequately stored or displayed by the Archives; and
– there is insufficient supporting information to enable the Archives to identify the item or object or to establish its relevance to the Collection

Exceptions

The Director of Archives may reject

– material where the quality of the information is poor.
– items or collections to which access will be denied due to poor conditions,
– Items or collections whose content does not warrant the expensive conservation work required to make them ready for consultation.
– duplicates or copies of archives or publications held elsewhere.
– Collections where the depositor does not intend to give access within a reasonable period of time (thirty years after demise of creator)

The record office reserves the right to conduct a periodic review of the records held, in the light of research use of the records, and where necessary to recommend their disposal or destruction.