Aceh Needs Assistance To Rebuild Its Documentary Heritage

Tsunami destroyed the bulk of the region's documentary and ancient manuscripts. Rare books and materials kept in the Aceh Documentation and Information Centre (PDIA) and key archival and cultural institutions, the Pusat Dokumentasi Aceh (Aceh Documentation Center) and The Lembaga Kebudayan Aceh (LAKA) or Aceh Cultural Foundation, were destroyed.

Serious efforts need to be taken to trace the "old materials" in order to rebuild PDIA. There is urgent need for Aceh to get assistance from other libraries in Indonesia, China, India, Brunei, Malaysia, Australia, the Netherlands, United Kingdom and United States in tracing old books, manuscripts, facsimile and microfilm copies about Aceh in order to rebuild its documented history, the almost total destruction of the PDIA, the foremost library with valuable collections of rare books and manuscripts is a great lost to Aceh heritage.

The efforts should focused on: 

• Recording the heritage damaged or destroyed by tsunami
• Raising support for the damaged and endangered heritage
• Identifing and safeguard the surviving heritage, so that more heritage will not be lost during the imminent re-building process
• Rebuilding Pusat Dokumentasi Aceh (Aceh Documentation Center)

List organizations which can be contacted for this effort are: