THE Guyana National Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) yesterday, made a grant of US$26,000 (approximately G$5.2M) to the National Archives to fund a digitalisation project. This will be supplemented with a local input of$5M.

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony, speaking at the formal handing over, thanked UNESCO for the gesture, noting that Guyana holds important records, such as on East Indian and Dutch immigration records.
Those documents have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage Register and according to the Minister the digitalising will be very instrumental for their preservation.
Anthony pointed out that the equipment to be bought will not only be used for the indentureship records but would include others, as well. He also explained that the Ministry is looking into ways to preserve audio and video recordings.
“For us, as a country, it’s very important that we maintain these records and we are very, very pleased that we have this partnership with UNESCO and I hope that you would also encourage other partners to see the value, in terms of helping us to preserve these records,” he added.
Regional archives
In addition, Anthony said he envisages that the archives will not only be developed at a national level but the regional level and he is hopeful for the development of regional archives where documents pertaining to matters of individual administrative regions can be stored.
He said the true beneficiaries of the digitisation process will be the researchers and others who access information at the National Archives. However, he noted that it is very important for future generations since it holds history.
Secretary General of the Guyana National Commission on UNESCO, Ms. Inge Nathoo said its new initiative ‘Heritage and Dialogue’ will seek to develop new approaches to complex issues, through the creation of sub-regional working groups on heritage management, conservation and promotion, covering world heritage, intangible heritage, cultural industries, museums and cultural institutions.
Archivist Ms. Nadia Gamel-Carter revealed that the Ministry of Culture will be providing additional funds which were allocated to the National Archives for 2012 capital projects.
She said the digitising of the records will allow for increased access to rare resources and enhanced capabilities for searching and browsing of rare archival collection. It will also aid in the continued preservation and conservation of rare and valuable collections.
Gamel-Carter advised that, for this project, they will microfilm and digitise records which were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Register, most notably of East Indian immigration.
Meanwhile, Senior Assistant Archivist, Ms. Karen Budhram has been selected to participate in an international conference, themed ‘The Memory of the world in the digital age: Digitalisation and Preservation’, which will take place in Vancouver, Canada, from September 26 to 28.
The event is organised by UNESCO, in collaboration with other international bodies and leading non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the area of preservation.