Endangered Archives Workshop 2010

Endangered Archives Workshop 2010
Harriet Tubman Institute, York University, Canada
Saturday, January 23 

With the explosive use of computers in recent decades, a growing number of researchers have been involved in the preservation of endangered archival documents through digital means. Accordingly, there are researchers funded by various significant bodies currently working in Algeria, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Ghana, Jamaica, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and other parts of the world. The Endangered Archives Workshop brought together researchers to discuss their digital projects and findings. The Workshop provided a venue for participants to discuss various issues that enabled aspiring and active researchers to manage digital projects. Issues discussed included implementing digital standards, preparing grant applications and purchasing digital equipment and computer software. The Workshop ended with a session on website development, public outreach and publishing options available to researchers so that they may disclose their findings to various audiences.  

Program
305 York Lanes, York University

9:30-9:45 Welcome Remarks: Paul E. Lovejoy, Director, Harriet Tubman Institute, York University

9:45-11:00 Session I: Presentation of Digital Projects by Members of the Organizing Committee

• Mohammed Bashir Salau, “Northern Nigeria: Precolonial Documents Preservation Scheme”
• Yacine Daddi Addoun, “Ibadi Private Libraries in the Mzab Heptapolis, Algeria”
• Ismael Musah Montana, “Preservation of Endangered Historical Records in the Public Records and Archives Administration (PRAAD) in Tamale, Northern Ghana”
• Paul Lovejoy, “Before the War, after the War: Preserving History in Sierra Leone”
• Mariza de Carvalho Soares, “Projeto Acervo Digital Angola-Brasil”
• Jane Landers, “Ecclesiastical Sources and Historical Research on the African diaspora in Brazil and Cuba”
• Carlos Franco Liberato, “Endangered African diaspora Collections of the State of Pará in the Amazon Region of Brazil”
• Pablo Gomez, “Creating a Digital Archive of Afro-Colombian History and Culture: Black Ecclesiastical, Governmental and Private Records from the Chocó, Colombia”
• Oscar Grandío Moragúez, “Digitisation of Endangered African diaspora Collections at the Major Archives of the Province of Matanzas, Cuba”
• Nadine Hunt, “Inventory of Archival Holdings in Jamaica”

11:00-11:15 Coffee Break

11:15-12:00 Session II: Presentation of Forthcoming Digital Projects with Ismael Musah Montana  

• Karen Needles, Director, “Lincoln Archives Digital Project”
• Anna St. Onge, Clara Thomas Archives & Special Collections, York University, “I published my paper: now what? The Final Step Towards the Preservation of Research Materials for Posterity”
• Meley Mulugetta Bezzabeh, York University, “Identifying Endangered Manuscript Collections in the Enderta and Säharti Regions of Tigray (Ethiopia) and Digitizing the Entire Library of the Church of Kidanä Mehrät in the Town of Mekelle”
• Gayle Williams, Florida International University, “A Multi-Institutional Approach to Newspaper Preservation in the Caribbean”

12:00-12:30 Session III: Administrative Matters with Carlos Algandona

12:30-1:30 Lunch

1:30-2:15 Session IV: Pilot versus Major Digital Project with Oscar Grandío Moragúez and Mariza de Carvalho Soares

2:15-3:15 Session V: Technological Equipment with Carlos Franco Liberato and Pablo Gomez  

3:15-3:30 Coffee Break

3:30-4:00Session VI: Cataloguing and Metadata Update with Yacine Daddi Addoun and Nadine Hunt

4:00-5:00Session VII:  Website Development, Public Outreach and Publishing with Jane Landers, Paul Lovejoy and Mohammed Bashir Salau

• Mariza de Carvalho Soares, Universidade Federal Fluminense, “Ecclesiastical Sources in Slave Societies: Brazil”
• Jean-Pierre Le Glaunec and Léon Robichaud, Université Sherbrook, “Histoires d’Esclaves dans le monde atlantique français”

5:00-5:30 Rump Session and closing remarks

Workshop Organizing Committee:
Yacine Daddi Addoun, York University
Pablo Gomez, Vanderbilt University
Oscar Grandío Moragúez, York University
Ismael Musah Montana, Northern Illinois University
Nadine Hunt, York University
Carlos Franco Liberato, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Brazil 
Jane G. Landers, Vanderbilt University
Paul E. Lovejoy, York University
Mohammed Bashir Salau, University of Mississippi  
Mariza de Carvalho Soares, Universidade Federal Fluminense