The movie films, video films, electromagnetic films, audio cassets, audio discs, CDs, composite discs, photographs (black and white) slides, microfilms etc. available in the Department are deposited in this division. Conservation and issuing of audio - visual material to the research room is done by this division. Among other functions of the division are providing facilities for researchers to listen to rear recordings of folk music and issuing recordings of these items to them. The division also issues copies of microfilms available with the division. The maintenance of the audio - visual equipment available with the division is also a responsibility of the division.
Audio - visual material
- Movie films - speeches made by Hon. J.R. Jayewardene, a former President of Sri Lanka and films on Sri Lanka culture are available.
- Video - films - The life - story of Hon. Sirimavo Bandaranayaike, videos on document management and videos on Presidential Commissions are available under this category.
- Electromagnetic tapes - This is a collection of folk songs from villages in all parts of Sri Lanka recorded by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and Lever Brothers in the 1960s and deposited in the National Archives.
- Audio cassets - Proceeding appointed by the former Presidents of Sri Lanka.
- Compact Disk – CDs contents include Administration Reports, accounts and agricultural programs made available by the government Departments, Ministries and the private sectors.
- Photographs - Conserved black and white photographs of murals in historic temples in Sri Lanka provided by Lever Brothers.
- Microfilms - Micro films of Portuguese records, Dutch records, Sinhala, Tamil and English newspapers published in Sri Lanka.
Newspapers that have been microfilmed
Sinhala - 1862 onwards | |
Lakminipahana | 1864 – 1894 |
Lakrivikirana | 1864 – 1902 |
Sarasavi Sanderesa | 1880 – 1900, 1922 |
Sinhala Bauddhaya | 1906 – 1959, 1932, 1976 |
Dinamina |
1909 – 1948, 2006 - 2009 |
Peramuna | 1916 – 1949 |
Silumina |
1930 – 1935 |
Lankadeepa |
1947 – 1948 |
Sinhala Jathiya |
1953 – 1976, 1980 - 1981 |
Janatha |
1956 – 1976 |
Davasa | 1961 – 1970 |
Janasathiya | 1963 – 1976 |
Aththa | 1967 – 1976 |
English newspapers- from 1832 onwards | |
Colombo Journal | 1832 – 1875 |
Ceylon Daily News |
1840 – 1841, 1925 - 1930, 1948, 1950, 2005 - 2009 |
Ceylon Observer | 1841 – 1852 |
Colombo Observer |
1842 – 1868 |
The Times of Ceylon |
1846 – 1954 |
Examiner |
1846 - 1900 |
Ceylon Independence | 1894 – 1937 |
Other newspapers | |
Alahamath Lankapuri | 1869 – 1870 |
Hindu Organ | 1889 – 1922 |
Weerakesari |
1947 – 1963 |