CULTURE, Youth and Sport Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, on Wednesday, addressed participants of a two-day workshop which signalled commencement of the Annual Archives Week 2012, held under the theme “Improving Records Management, Use of Digitization and New Technologies”. At the Walter Rodney Archives on Homestretch Avenue in Georgetown, the minister noted that the workshop, which saw representatives from various governmental and semi-governmental agencies participating, is being held to get persons to understand that if they are to capture the new types of records, they have to “step up the electronic architectures, the electronic platforms where we could capture these records; store them within the respective organisations, and when it’s necessary, share it with the central archives here.”

He added that while our system is dominated by paper records, the world is changing, and a lot of transactions are being done electronically.

“There’s also the need for us to do audio visual archiving. Over the past ten to fifteen years, we’ve seen more audio visual records being created; but we are not properly storing these audio visual records,” the minister said.
During the course of this two-day workshop, the minister said, some of the presentations that will be done include the role and function of the National Archives, Freedom of Information Act, and Basic E-Records Management.

Making reference to the Freedom of Information Act, the minister noted that if information is not stored properly — in a way that it can be easily retrieved and provided to persons — then persons can be in breach of this law. He added that it’s up to persons in the organisations to start developing the architecture of their organisations.

The minister wished the workshop participants well, and urged them to utilize the National Archives. He also encouraged them to contact the ministry if they need any support in their respective organizations.

Other activities to be held during the course of Annual Archives Week 2012 (October 24-31) include a lecture with secondary school history classes, and a week-long exhibition of an assortment of rare archival records at the National Archives on Homestretch Avenue.

The workshop, which will conclude today, is being held under the theme “Basic Records Management, Preservation of Electronic Records and E-Governance”.