The Cultural Information Systems Centre is a direct administrative body under the Ministry of Culture and operates on the basis of Cabinet Regulation No 928 of 18 December 2012 on the statutes of the Centre for Cultural Information Systems and sectoral policy planning documents.
The mission of the Centre is to help memory institutions — archives, libraries and museums — to preserve and make available cultural heritage for future generations, using the latest information technology solutions. To this end, the Centre shall develop information systems for libraries, archives, museums and other cultural and educational institutions, ensuring that the sources of information and cultural assets are made available to the public. The Centre shall also develop cooperation with other public administrations in implementing state-of-the-art language technology and artificial intelligence solutions in public administration to facilitate citizens’ effective communication with the public administration and access to information.
The initial establishment of the Centre as a public authority dates back to 1997, when the processing, storage and dissemination of information concentrated in libraries started in the country and the establishment of a non-profit organisation, the State SIA Library Information Network Consortium (Consortium), with the aim of creating an electronic library information network covering Latvia. The objective was achieved through the creation of the National Uniform Library Information System, the maintenance and development of which was entrusted to the Consortium.
On 24 December 2003, the Cabinet of Ministers issued Order No 817, which stipulated that the non-profit organisation State SIA Library Information Network Consortium was reorganised and established by 1 February 2004, the State agency ‘Culture Information Systems’, the successor of the Consortium’s functions and liabilities. With the establishment of the National Agency, the scope of the institution was broadened, with the launch of digitisation projects focused on heritage conservation and accessibility in other memory institutions — archives and museums.
On 1 January 2013, on the basis of Cabinet Regulation No 928 of 18 December 2012 on the statutes of the Centre for Cultural Information Systems, the legal status of the State agency “Culture Information Systems” is changed to become a direct administrative body under the Ministry of Culture, the Centre for Cultural Information Systems.
