Administratively, the Archives form part of the portfolio of the Ministry of Education, Human Resource Planning, Vocational Training and National Excellence. It is a unit of the Library and Information Service, and is administered by the Chief Librarian.
The Archives acquire permanent records of enduring value which have been created in the course of public and private affairs.
History
The Archives of Dominica had its beginnings about 1968, when E.C. Baker was asked by Professor Elsa Goveia of the University of the West Indies to survey archives in the Windward Islands.
As a result of the survey, records which were found improperly stored in various offices such as the Court House and the Registrar’s Office were removed and placed in the vault of the Ministerial Building on High Street, (now the Traffic Department).
The Library Service became custodian of that collection and tirelessly spearheaded efforts for the establishment of a National Archives for Dominica and finding suitable accommodation for the archival collection.
In 2001, the Organization of American States (OAS) approved a project and provided funds for an archivist from the region to assist with setting up the archives, for purchase of supplies and to provide some basic training. The records then deteriorating due to the physical and environmental conditions were moved from where they have been kept into an air conditioned rented building on Independence Street. This allowed for a more conducive environment and increase storage space that facilitated preliminary conservation measures.
In 2004, the records were again moved, this time to a more permanent location at the top floor of the National Documentation Centre Building on the Government Headquarters compound.