Paper short abstract:

African memory institutions face the dual challenge of decolonizing archives and preserving them through digitization. This involves re-examining archival narratives to prioritize African perspectives and addressing budgetary, technological, and ethical issues to create a more inclusive archival.

Paper long abstract:

Across Africa, memory institutions are tackling the intertwined challenges of decolonizing archival collections and ensuring their preservation through digitization. This effort is especially vital for audiovisual heritage materials, photographs, and other historical documents that offer profound insights into the continent's rich past and diverse cultures. Decolonization in this context involves more than just physical repatriation; it demands a critical re-examination of archival narratives to ensure African perspectives and voices are at the forefront.

Digitization emerges as a powerful tool, serving both preservation and the democratization of access. By transitioning fragile physical records into digital formats, archives can be secured for future generations while being made more readily available to students, scholars, communities, and the public at large. However, the journey of decolonization and digitization is complex and multifaceted. Budgetary constraints, a shortage of skilled personnel, and technological challenges pose significant hurdles to these initiatives.

Additionally, ethical considerations become prominent as power dynamics surrounding the digitization process, ownership, access, and control of these historical treasures come into play. Questions about who gets to decide what is digitized and how it is made accessible are critical to address.

This presentation delves into these issues through the lens of a West African archivist, drawing on practical experience and contextual understanding. It explores potential intersections and frictions between decolonization and digitization efforts, highlighting both the opportunities and the obstacles encountered.