Bhubaneswar, June 8: A conservation laboratory for preservation of paper-based records will be opened to the public tomorrow at the Odisha State Archives on the occasion of International Archives Day.

Here, old documents will undergo treatment for preservation.

"We are trying to promote the state archives so that more people, especially youngsters, come here and read the publications to know more about the state's heritage," said culture minister Ashok Panda.

In the first phase, over six lakh records in the form of loose sheets, files, old gazettes, maps and newspapers housed in the archive will be conserved in the laboratory.

All these records belong to the period between 1803 and 1963 and contain valuable information on the formation of modern Odisha such as the freedom struggle, creation of provinces, natural calamities, first settlement in the state and account of the social customs prevailing during the earlier time such as sati and human sacrifice.

"Some of the records of historical value have been acquired from private sources such as kings, zamindars, religious institutions and freedom fighters. Many of these have been acquired from various offices such as the state and governor's secretariat, district collectorates and the subordinate offices. Preservation of these documents is necessary for the state as they contain crucial information," said head of the institution Bhagyalipi Malla.

On the occasion, a workshop would be organised where students from Utkal University will get hands-on experience on ways to preserve records. "The attempt is to make the youths realise the importance of the archives. They will be taught about cleaning and laminating records using simple tools," said Malla.

Special efforts are being taken to connect to the youngsters. Apart from inviting college students from across the state to attend workshops, a one-month course on the conservation process will also be initiated.

Two kiosks will also be inaugurated on the occasion where people can listen to the recordings of 28 freedom fighters of the state sharing their experiences.

"We will also begin the process of carrying out interviews with eminent personalities from the state, including politicians, sportspersons and cultural icons. We are planning to record the voice of freedom fighter Bhabani Charan Patnaik tomorrow as he will be here to attend our celebrations," said Malla.

A souvenir shop will also be inaugurated where people can buy copies of old records. That apart, an exhibition hall on the archives premises will also be opened to the public where records on the Nabakalebar festival will be displayed.

The archive was established in 1960 in Bhubaneswar for collection, preservation, management, publication and educational use of records.