Originally established in 1983 as the National Institute of Art and Literature, this important research agency was transferred to the National Committee of Social Science in 1987 and finally incorporated with departmental status into the Ministry of Information and Culture in 1993. The Institute is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Lao culture and is active in various fields of research, including folklore and custom, ethnomusicology, language and literature, crafts and textile art, scenic art, architecture and monuments and antiquities. Comprising some 30 staff members and 18 researchers, it is assisted by overseas governments which have contributed funds and various essential items of equipment. The Institute incorporates eight divisions - Administration, Literature, Linguistics, Tradition and Beliefs, Music and Performing Arts, Fine Arts and Handicrafts, History and Lao Civilisation - plus a Documentation Centre (comprising a Library of books and AV materials), a Video Suite with an extensive videotape library of ethnic Lao music and dance, and a Lao Textiles Laboratory.