Based at the National Library, the Archives of Traditional Music in Laos (ATML) project was launched in Vientiane in May 1999. Funded initially by the German Research Association (DFG) and the German Association for Technical Development Co-operation (GTZ), it was affiliated with the Oldenburg-Ostfriesland-Wilhelmshaven in Emden Fachhochschule in close co-operation with the Museum of Ethnology in Berlin. Since May 2001 the project has been funded privately by Dr Gisa Jähnichen. The objectives of the project focus on three main areas: Research - to acquire a methodological knowledge base on the internal systematisation of traditional music in Laos, and to collect and display music data by classifying repertories, music instruments and ensemble arrangements; Training - to motivate and train specialised local staff to continue the culturally vital task of documenting and preserving traditional music in Laos; and Development - to enhance the scientific resources of the National Library by establishing and supporting a new department known as the Archives of Traditional Music in Laos, with its own systematisation. The planned outcomes of this project are to create systematic musicological data based on various media (sound tapes, video, photo, transcriptions) to be used for further research and for educational and public purposes, and to make the rich and unique musical traditions of Laos accessible for public appreciation. Up until May 2002, the project made field recordings in Houaphanh, Luang Prabang, Xieng Khouang, Vientiane, Borikhamxai, Khammouane, Savannakhet, Saravane, Attapeu, Sekong, Bokeo, and Champassak Provinces. The archive currently contains 1,123 audio recordings from 25 different ethnic groups, 1,690 minutes of video recordings, 764 photographs, 135 transcriptions of music and 70 drawings and descriptions of musical instruments, which are accessible to the public.