Bringing a range of new voices, this seminar series will start on Monday, 4 March with the first virtual seminar about Archives and Technology. This session will explore the use of technology in and with archives and the impact of technology on archival practice. The papers selected for this first seminar were chosen from the call for papers launched last year. The titles and presenters of these papers are:
- The benefits, challenges and prospects of technology in the archival discipline at the National Film, Video and Sound Archives of South Africa – Ogone Phidelia Phetlhu
- African Indigenous Knowledge: Digitization of Swazi Oral History – Mphikeleli Blessing Mhlanga
- DRA Explore – An exploratory search interface for the German Broadcasting Archive – Kim Voss
- Unlocking awareness: cracking the code of audiovisual ignorance – Nur Haziqah Binti Zainal Abidin
These presentations will allow the participants to consider how emerging technologies bring new opportunities and innovation, but also challenges and obstacles to overcome to ensure their best and most appropriate use. More details about the abstracts and authors of the papers can be found below.
This first virtual seminar will be moderated by John Sheridan, Digital Director, The National Archives UK. Each paper will be followed with time for questions.
The seminar series is organized by the New Professional Programme (NPP) in collaboration with the Forum of National Archivists (FAN). This virtual event is part of the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the ICA New Professionals Programme.
Seminar one – Archives and Technology
- Date and time: 4 March 2024, 11:00 – 13:00 CET (Paris time). To confirm the date/time of this session in your time zone please use the following link. The time of the seminar is 90 minutes before questions.
- Host: ICA in collaboration with the National Archives UK
- Language: English. Interpretation into other languages will not be provided.
- Location: Online
The seminar is free and open for anyone to join, with recordings made available through the ICA YouTube channel. Registration is required to receive full details on how to connect to this virtual meeting.
PAPER PRESENTATIONS
1. The benefits, challenges and prospects of technology in the archival discipline at the National Film, Video and Sound Archives of South Africa
Abstract:
The rapid change in technical resources and manipulation in the digital archives has not escaped the attention of archival practitioners with regards to collections stored and maintained at the National Film, Video and Sound Archives of south Africa. The archives have shifted tremendously from conventional preservation to digital preservation. In contrast to that, the archives professionals are constantly facing the challenges of preserving the archives with the IT resources and lack of any archival perspective on decision making stages of technology developments. The objective of this research is to establish collaboration of the information technology practitioners and the archival practitioners particularly in the case of the National Film, Video and Sound Archives of South Africa; to have equal input, understanding and decision making in regard to technology and preserving the archives. The research methods that will be used to collect data will mainly focus on interviews and administration of questionnaires at the National Film, Video and Sound Archives of South Africa and a case study on the related research study, and reference to available literature on the topic. The findings of this study will reflect great opportunities derived from technology for archives such as making the digital archives accessible remotely.
Presenter:
From July 2022, Ogone Phildelia Phetlhu has been an Archivist at South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). Ogone is studying a Bachelor of Arts Honours in Archives and Records Management at University of South Africa. Ogone previously worked at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University) as Archival Assistant - March 2022 to June 2022 Temporary Contract and worked as Archives and Research intern at Nelson Mandela Foundation - July 2019 to June 2021.
2. African Indigenous Knowledge: Digitization of Swazi Oral History
Abstract:
The 21st century is characterized with the use of technology, hence the need to digitize, protect, manage, preserve and disseminate Swazi oral history. This forms the background of the importance of using technology for the preservation and improvement of indigenous knowledge. In light of this realization, the article explores the benefits of technology on Archives in the collection, protecting, preservation and dissemination of indigenous knowledge. A qualitative research approach is employed in this article to investigate the data. The article's findings unveiled that digitization is of utmost importance because it preserve the indigenous knowledge for posterity as compared to the African indigenous knowledge systems of preserving information.
Presenter:
Mphikeleli Blessing Mhlanga is an Archivist with a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities degree and a candidate of Post Graduate Certificate in Education. An employee of Eswatini Government through the Ministry of Information, Communication & Technology under the Department of Eswatini National Archives and Records Service for 2 years.
3. DRA Explore – An exploratory search interface for the German Broadcasting Archive
Abstract:
The aim of the project “DRA Explore” was to analyze the benefits of a topic-related network graph as an exploratory entry point to the collections of the German Broadcasting Archive (short: DRA). A visual interface can provide a way to explore a collection without a special target or search keyword in mind. Through metadata that is represented in nodes and edges, the network graph offers a quick overview, displays the distribution of topics in the collection and establishes links between several radio shows. Interactive elements and faceted search help to discover new keywords and topics. Such a metadata visualization can be of interest to the public and specific user groups of the DRA, and it also has the potential to simplify internal analysis of the collections. During the project, the opportunities and challenges of a network graph for visualizing the radio collections were evaluated. In addition, the collections and metadata were examined regarding their suitability for visualization. A prototype with interactive element was developed to test the technical workflow and usability. The project was developed during a 2-year training program for information specialists at the German Broadcasting Archive in cooperation with Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences.
Presenter:
Kim Voss is an information specialist and product owner of automation projects at the German Broadcasting Archive. She has a background in media und cultural theory and worked as project and communications manager in the field of art, culture and digital media.
4. Unlocking awareness: cracking the code of audiovisual ignorance
Abstract:
Audiovisual archives encounter various challenges, such as widespread ignorance of their importance, insufficient preservation measures, and complications arising from rapidly advancing technology. Abandoning these archives leads to cultural loss, historical forgetfulness, and restricted educational and research possibilities. However, acknowledging their importance has many benefits. These archives preserve cultural heritage, protecting diverse traditions and promoting a better understanding of history. They offer valuable educational resources, enhancing engaging learning experiences. Moreover, these archives inspire creativity and support filmmakers, artists, and content creators. Highlighting the importance of audiovisual archives is necessary to preserve our heritage, promote cultural diversity, and ensure future generations have access to a wide range of human experiences.
Presenter:
Nur Haziqah binti Zainal Abidin is an accomplished archivist at the Audiovisual Section, dedicating years to preserving audiovisualrecords at the National Archives of Malaysia. With the responsibility of processing valuable records, she has played an essential role in ensuring the accessibility and longevity of the archival heritage.
