The management of audiovisual materials in the member states of the East and Southern Africa Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives (ESARBICA) (original) (raw)

Policies and strategies that govern the management of audio-visual materials in Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives

2011

This paper reports the results of an empirical study on the management of audio-visual materials in the member states of the East and Southern Africa Regional Branch of theInternational Council on Archives (ESARBICA). The paper examines the extent to which national archives in ESARBICA apply archival policies and strategies to the management of audio-visual (AV) materials. The main objectives of the study were to: i) identify policies which archival institutions in ESARBICA used to manage AV materials; and ii) identify strategies which archival institutions in ESARBICA apply to the management of AV materials. The study employed a survey design. Nine countries (South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Swaziland) in the region were covered. Data was gathered mainly through literature review supplemented by interviews and observation checklists. The findings revealed that while some national archives adhered to established standards and practices, ...

Challenges of managing and preserving audio-visual archives in archival institutions in Sub Saharan Africa: a literature review

Collection and Curation, 2020

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify challenges related to the management and preservation of audio-visual (AV) records and/or archives in archival institutions in Sub Saharan Africa and suggests strategies for resolving them. Design/methodology/approach This study is qualitative in nature and used content analysis from desk top review of literature to identify the challenges and suggested solutions. Findings Among others, the study revealed that budgetary constraints, poor environmental controls, ill-equipped staff and technological obsolescence are the major challenges hampering the efforts of archival institutions in Sub Saharan Africa to manage and preserve AV archives. Research limitations/implications The contextual differences due to existing political set ups in archival agencies in Sub Saharan Africa may or may not be receptive to some of the strategies suggested for the improvement of managing and preserving audio visual archives. Practical implications The pap...

Esarbica Journal Journal of the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives

2021

Audio-visual records and archives constitute a fundamental heritage that satisfies multiple needs, including education, training, research and entertainment. As such, there is a need to appropriately preserve and conserve them so they can be accessed for as long as they are needed. In spite of their significant role in safeguarding cultural heritage, audio-visual records and archives, are often neglected and accorded less attention than paper-based records, especially in developing countries. Hence, there is a risk of losing information held in audio-visual form. That is why this study looked at how the National Archives of Zambia (NAZ) and the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) preserve audio-visual materials to ensure long-term accessibility of the information. The study investigated the types of audio-visual collections held, the storage equipment used, measures put in place to ensure long-term accessibility of audio-visual materials, the disaster preparedness plans ...

Preservation of Audio-Visual Records at the National Archives of Namibia

2017

The study investigated the preservation strategies of audio - visual (AV) records at the National Archives of Namibia (NAN). Data for the study was collected through questionnaires, interviews, observation and a review of documentary sources. The study also found that the legal deposit for AV records has been ineffective because officials responsible for transferring AV records to the National Archives were not aware of the requirement of the Archives and the Namibia Film Commission Acts to transfer records immediately. The study found out that there is no awareness on depositing AV records from the accountable institution, the National Archives of Namibia NAN. The study also found out that the Namibia Film Commission Act, No. 6 of 2000 has not been implemented at all, as there are no audio - visual records from the National Film Commission deposited at the National Archives. The findings also established that there is no single trained AV archivist at NAN, which critically hinders ...

Preservation of audio-visual archives in Zambia

ESARBICA Journal: Journal of the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives, 2021

Audio-visual records and archives constitute a fundamental heritage that satisfies multiple needs, including education, training, research and entertainment. As such, there is a need to appropriately preserve and conserve them so they can be accessed for as long as they are needed. In spite of their significant role in safeguarding cultural heritage, audio-visual records and archives, are often neglected and accorded less attention than paper-based records, especially in developing countries. Hence, there is a risk of losing information held in audio-visual form. That is why this study looked at how the National Archives of Zambia (NAZ) and the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) preserve audio-visual materials to ensure long-term accessibility of the information. The study investigated the types of audio-visual collections held, the storage equipment used, measures put in place to ensure long-term accessibility of audio-visual materials, the disaster preparedness plans ...

Managing Audio-Visual Resources in Selected Developed and Developing Countries

Advances in Religious and Cultural Studies, 2018

This chapter emphasises that audiovisual (AV) resources are very fragile and need to be stored in ideal conditions to preserve them for posterity. It describes different types of AV materials and the conditions under which they should be kept. It is based on a study that was conducted in the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives (ESARBICA) region. Data were gathered using quantitative and qualitative methods. The results revealed lack of equipment to monitor environmental conditions, absence of policies to govern the acquisition, appraisal, access, preservation, retention, digitisation and disposal of AV materials, and failure to apply the records life cycle (or any model) to AV records. The results point to a need for national archives to develop guidelines that apply to AV materials particularly in Africa. Particular attention should be given to training AV archivists in the region using an integrated curriculum.

The Challenges of Archiving Audio Visual Heritages in Northern Nigeria

Archiving Conference, 2019

This paper attempts to show case the challenges militating against the establishment, funding and promotion of audiovisual archiving collections held by different government institutions in Northern Nigeria. The rationale of such attempt rests on the observation that although audiovisual materials constitute vital information resource in such institutions, they are often not adequately managed after their creation. The paper also identifies the major constraints and limitations of audiovisual materials found in the public sectors, media houses and the challenges in their management. This serves as an important mechanism for raising general awareness on the audiovisual materials and on the need to preserve and safeguard such materials for future generations, as a means of making them accessible to the public. The paper shows that many of the problems related to the management of such materials in the country emanate from, such us national policy on preservation and conservation, lack of trained personnel in the management of audiovisual materials, technological challenges, inadequate storage facilities and the perception by users that audiovisual materials are not as valuable as records in other formats. The paper proffer strategies for dealing with the challenges of preserving and improving the use of audiovisual materials in Nigeria.

Taking archives to the people: an examination of public programs in the National Archives of the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives

Archives and manuscripts, 2019

Archives serve as society's collective memory in so far as they provide evidence of the past and promote accountability and transparency of past actions. An appreciation of archives would then result in citizens linking archival records with their identity, history, civic duty and cultural heritage. However, research in Eastern and Southern Africa indicates that most citizens are unaware of archives and rarely use them. Apart from financial constraints, this is often associated with inadequate outreach programs. Taking archives to the people (promoting archives) is one way of making citizens aware of archival holdings and facilitating access and use of these resources. Through the application of three research techniques, this article shows that, although the number of archival users in this region is declining, public programming initiatives were not prioritised. Reasons for this included lack of policies; shortage of staff; lack of skills; reluctance to rope in technology in public programming initiatives; working in silos; and budgetary constraints. This article recommends a framework that may help archivists in the Eastern and Southern Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives region to raise awareness about public archival repositories, despite the existing challenges.