The Department of Information Retrieval Systems was established on April 15, 1965.
According to the Regulations on the Department, its main tasks are:
- defining the main directions of development of the scientific reference apparatus (SRA) of archival documents, organizing and performing work on its creation and development, introducing and using automated information retrieval systems;
- state accounting and financing documents;
- studying and introducing into the work of the department advanced domestic and foreign experience in the field of creation and use of information retrieval systems, including automated, state accounting of documents;
- normative and methodological support for work on the creation and improvement of NRA on archival documents, defining the main directions and analyzing archival work on the use of documents, preparing proposals for their improvement.
In accordance with the assigned tasks, the Department:
- prepares proposals for draft programs, long-term and current plans for the work of the archive in specific areas for the department, including plans for the preparation of archival reference books for publication, ensures their implementation, compiles reports on their implementation;
- carries out work on the creation and development of a system of scientific reference apparatus and automated databases of archival documents, including those containing personnel information, ensures its implementation and use;
- carries out state registration of documents and makes changes to the composition and volume of archival funds in accordance with established forms. Prepares information on the composition and volume of archival funds for the State Fund Catalog of the National Archival Fund of the Republic of Belarus.
- together with the Department for the Preservation of Documents and Funds, considers issues of financing archival documents;
- carries out work on the analysis and accounting of the state of the scientific reference apparatus of archival documents, maintains a file for recording the state of NNOs;
- carry out work on the description of archival documents, improvement and processing of inventories, categorization of funds;
- determines the creation and development of a rational system of catalogs and their interrelation in accordance with the archive level, carries out thematic development and cataloging of archival documents, maintains systematic and other catalogs, improves their composition, coordinates the activities of archival departments on document cataloging in the process of performing other types of work;
- creates databases of archival documents using electronic computing equipment, studies issues of rational interaction of the traditional NPO system with the created automated databases taking into account the relevance of the topic;
- carries out, jointly with archival, scientific and other interested institutions or independently, the development and preparation for publication of archival reference books (guides, indexes, reviews, inventories, catalogues, etc.), including using electronic computing equipment;
- in accordance with the established procedure, carries out contract work, provides paid services in specialized areas;
- keeps records and analyzes the efficiency of using information and search systems, prepares proposals for their improvement;
- develops proposals for the main areas and topics of scientific and methodological work of the archive in the field of creating information retrieval systems, prepares methodological recommendations, coordination plans and other documents for their development;
- takes part in the development of scientific and research topics and prepares methodological manuals in specific areas for the department, implements their results in the practice of the department;
- conducts an economic analysis of the department’s work, prepares proposals based on the results of the analysis; studies domestic and foreign experience in the field of creation and use of information retrieval systems, implements it in the practice of the department, archive;
- participates in the work of the Academic Council, the Directorate and the expert-methodological commission of the archive, submits for their consideration issues of development of archival work in specific areas for the department, prepares materials for discussion, monitors the implementation of decisions made.
Head of Department: