The major state archive in Norway is the National Archives (Riksarkivet) which, together with the regional state archives, forms the National State Archives System. The National Archives are responsible for the overall guidance and surveillance of the entire archive sector.

The Norwegian Archive, Library and Museum Authority was established on 1 January 2003 following the merger of the Norwegian Directorate for Public Libraries, the Norwegian Museum Authority, and the National Office for Research Documentation, Academic and Special Libraries. The Norwegian Archive, Library and Museum Authority is a public institution under the authority of the Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs. The organisation is a centre of excellence for archives, libraries and museums, working towards a future-oriented investment in collections management, documentation, research, preservation, preparation, dissemination and publicity.

The Norwegian Archive, Library and Museum Authority is currently engaged in the Archive Survey project, which seeks to analyse the status of local and regional archival material in order to provide a better overview of archival contents and state of preservation and to develop long term strategies for preservation and dissemination policies. This project also involves evaluation of the organisational structure of regional and local archives.

Other major investment initiatives of the Authority include Kulturnett, Art and Culture in the Classroom, the Electronic Library and the Museum Reform.

Public archives in Norway are currently making ground-breaking progress in dealing with the major challenges of the retention of electronically-recorded material. The development strategy in the archive sector focuses on retention and access to a broader range of archives. This is necessary in order to facilitate complete documentation of social development. Through nationwide projects to make archive sources available to a wider public, efforts are being made to digitalise selected source series and make them accessible through web-based services like Archive Network Norway.

Make direct contact with organisations and individuals working in this sector through our extensive database of KEY CONTACTS.