The Ask Archivists Day on 9 June 2011 on Twitter, marked by the hashtag
#AskArchivists sparked some interesting questions and conversation. The
SABC Media Libraries took part through the
SABC Radio Archives account @
SABCRadioArc, as well as
SABC Media Libraries account @
SABCMediaLib on
Twitter:
We answered some specific questions addressed to us, as well taking part in the general discussion on the day.
Question(Q): @denaaktepriest Fourie Rossouw:
@karentoittoit How can I get hold of PW Botha's Rubicon Speech? (received on 6 June)
Answer (A): karentoittoit Karen du Toit:
@denaaktepriest PW Botha's 80min Rubicon speech of 1985 in the #archives. Contact SABC program sales 0117146886 @SABCRadioArc #AskArchivists
9 June 2011: Ask Archivists Day:
Q: the_archive Harriet Deacon:
So in SAfrican archives you have limited resources and a big cataloguing backlog - do we have comparatively few clients too? #AskArchivists
A: @SABCRadioArc SABC Radio Archive:
@the_archive Yes, in SAfrican archives we have limited resources and big cataloguing backlogs with comparatively few clients #AskArchivists
Q: @Visarkivet Svenskt visarkiv:
We're a music archive and we're curious: Which of all archives participating in #AskArchivists Day have music in their collections?
A: @SABCRadioArc SABC Radio Archive:
@Visarkivet @SABCMusicLib & @SABCRecordLib as departm of @SABCMediaLib has music in their collections
Q: BlogjeBabs Barbara Nijhoff:
#AskArchivists To all the archives on twitter today, what is the most valuable/precious/particular piece in your archive?
A:@SABCRadioArc SABC Radio Archive:
@BlogjeBabs One of most valuable recordings: 1890 voice recording: Florence Nightingale recalling battle of Balaclava #AskArchivists
Q: the_archive Harriet Deacon:
@wyorksarchives so the question is whether you can leapfrog some of the cataloguing work through digitization strategies #AskArchivists
A:@SABCRadioArc SABC Radio Archive:
@the_archive @wyorksarchives leapfrogs cataloguing through digitization - definitely! Busy mini-discs ingestion by interns’ #AskArchivists
Q: archives_masala Pauline Moirez:
#AskArchivists Hi twit archivists! Does your institution have a social media global strategy? What social media do you use?
A:@SABCRadioArc SABC Radio Archive:
@archives_masala our comp busy def social strategy. In meantime we have Facebook, Twit & blog for all depts in @SABCMediaLib #AskArchivists
Q:DaneAnne Anne-Grethe Jensen:
For all the #archivists out there: Why did you become an archivist? #AskArchivists
A:@SABCRadioArc SABC Radio Archive:
@DaneAnne #archivists -on why becoming archivist - started as librarian, but both value the preservation of our cult heritage #AskArchivists
Q: the_archive Harriet Deacon:
@StatensArkiver most digitization currently happening in SA archives I know is either by clients or by specific projects #AskArchivists
A:@SABCMediaLib SABC Media Library:
@the_archive @StatensArkiver currently have interns on a project to digitize our minidisks. #AskArchivists
Q:CaroleRiley Carole Riley:
As much as I'm enjoying #AskArchivists it appears to be more about the archives themselves than users of archives
A: @SABCMediaLib SABC Media Library:
@CaroleRiley In SA users definitely don't realize the value of Archives yet #AskArchivists
Q: the_archive Harriet Deacon:
Archivists - what's the most frequent misunderstanding about your archive by visitors? #AskArchivists
A:@SABCRadioArc SABC Radio Archive:
@the_archive the most frequent misunderstanding - we catalogue everything, which is impossible! #AskArchivists
Q: SABCMediaLib SABC Media Library:
@SABCRadioArc: Restoration or destruction in the audio archives?
@SABCRadioArc too much restoration is destruction of original. Focus should rather be on preservation, my opinion. #AskArchivists
A:@RichardWright Richard Wright:
@SABCMediaLib @SABCRadioArc #AskArchivists For audiovisual the need is 'digitization for preservation' - restoration not central issue
Q: archivesinfo Melissa Mannon:
haven't seen much 2 day about non-archivists helping archivists. What role can "citizen archivists" play 4 yr institution? #askarchivists
A:@SABCRadioArc SABC Radio Archive
@archivesinfo "citizen archivists" to donate radio broadcast material that was not kept, as has happened w Springbok Radio #AskArchivists
Q:jackharker Jack Harker:
@AskArchivists To all #archives - What are your main reasons for #digitization? Genealogy? Preservation? #AskArchivists
A:@SABCMediaLib SABC Media Library:
@jackharker @AskArchivists - We digitize mainly for preservation and easier accessibility, but also due to lack of physical storing space.
Q:jamesdoeser James Doeser:
Should tweets be archived somehow? They may prove to be as useful as correspondence to future historians #askarchivists
A:@SABCMediaLib SABC Media Library:
@jamesdoeser Excellent idea! Would also help with accessibility of collection-content on web! #AskArchivists
Q:AskArchivists Ask Archivists:
RT @jackharker: To all #archives - What are your main reasons for #digitization? #Genealogy? Preservation? #AskArchivists
A:@SABCMediaLib SABC Media Library:
@AskArchivists @jackharker Accessibility!
Q:ClaudeSuper Claude Super:
RT @CultureThemes: #AskArchivists how do you decide what goes into a collection? Also, how important is storage in the decision?
A:@SABCMediaLib SABC Media Library:
@ClaudeSuper @CultureThemes Participants, production cost, availability elsewhere, request frequency - some deciding factors #AskArchivists
Q:NLWales Nat Library Wales:
How do institutions catalogue bilingual or multilingual archives? #askarchivists
A:@SABCMediaLib SABC Media Library:
@NLWales @SABCMediaLib We use English as cataloguing language, and indicate in metadata which language the content is #AskArchivists
Q:the_archive Harriet Deacon:
@wyorksarchives my impression and @SABCRadioArc can comment on this is that many SA archives have a huge cataloguing backlog #AskArchivists
A: @SABCMediaLib SABC Media Library:
@the_archive @wyorksarchives @SABCRadioArc @SABCMediaLib We have a backlog problem in all of our collection due to manpower, yes! Frustrating
Q:simonrae Simon Rae:
#askarchivists - What is the biggest hindrance to your successful archiving - financial, technological or political?
A:@SABCMediaLib SABC Media Library:
@simonrae definitely financial, but technology also plays a part, due to lack of finances. #AskArchivists
Q:the_archive Harriet Deacon:
@SABCMediaLib Do you think the national archives will have a smaller client base than you? #AskArchivists
A:@SABCMediaLib SABC Media Library:
@the_archive I am not sure. We have different collections and different clients, though. #AskArchivists
Q:the_archive Harriet Deacon:
@SABCMediaLib interesting issue to explore - maybe the genealogy and historian user base in Africa is small but media is big? #AskArchivists
A:@SABCMediaLib SABC Media Library:
@the_archive Also, we work with very old and recent material. I think ppl in Africa must still realize value of archives. #AskArchivists
Q:the_archive Harriet Deacon:
@SABCMediaLib yes I think you have a great catalogue and some rare materials #AskArchivists
A:
@SABCMediaLib SABC Media Library
@the_archive What does your collection entail? #AskArchivists
Q:the_archive Harriet Deacon
@SABCMediaLib e.g. on family histories, state of archives in SA, links btw museums and archives
http://bit.ly/eRn6N #AskArchivists
A:@SABCMediaLib SABC Media Library
@the_archive Interesting! You are welcome to come and visit some day!
Q:MyHeritageNL MyHeritage NL:
Hi #AskArchivists, what would be your most interesting find until now?
A:@SABCMediaLib SABC Media Library:
@MyHeritageNL A recording of Forces Favourites, a tribute program to soldiers in WWII #AskArchivists
Q:SLSarkiv sv.litt.sällskapet:
#AskArchivists Do you work a lot with schools and schoolchildren? For us in Finland this is a quite new target group: D
A:@SABCMediaLib SABC Media Library:
@SLSarkiv We provide schools with audio of prescribed dramas and books. #AskArchivists
Q:historieonline historie-online:
For all archivists: What is YOUR favourite document in your collections, and why? #AskArchivists
A:@SABCMediaLib SABC Media Library:
@historieonline Everything #Springbok-Radio #AskArchivists
Q:the_archive Harriet Deacon:
Archivists - what's the most frequent misunderstanding about your archive by visitors? #AskArchivists
A:@SABCMediaLib SABC Media Library:
@the_archive That we can provide a day's audio material in two minutes #AskArchivists
Q:SLSarkiv sv.litt.sällskapet:
@GSA_EUB How is the economical crisis show in your archive or does it show at all? #AskArchivists
A:@SABCMediaLib SABC Media Library
@SLSarkiv @GSA_EUB It is hindering the digitization process #AskArchivists
Q:SLSarkiv sv.litt.sällskapet
@SABCMediaLib I can imagine. Is the digitization done by permanent staff or is it outsourced? #AskArchivists
A:@SABCMediaLib SABC Media Library
@SLSarkiv We have interns helping at the mo, but for the rest it is just the permanent staff. Slow process! #AskArchivists
Q:SLSarkiv sv.litt.sällskapet:
@SABCMediaLib The main difficulty is to get funds for digitization. We received some gov. funds for that last year #AskArchivists
A:@SABCMediaLib SABC Media Library:
@SLSarkiv Do you outsource? We also have a funding problem! #AskArchivists
Q:ExploringLeeds Alex:
@wyorksarchives How many queries/visits do you reckon you get a year? #AskArchivists
A:@SABCMediaLib SABC Media Library:
@ExploringLeeds @wyorksarchives Roughly 800 #AskArchivists
Q:simonrae Simon Rae:
#AskArchivists - Archivists, do you ever get sad at the amount of stuff there is still to archive - so much stuff, so little time :-(
A:@SABCMediaLib SABC Media Library:
@simonrae And because it is not archived yet we don't know exactly what we have. #AskArchivists
Q:the_archive Harriet Deacon:
Are there good examples of public participation in the design of strategies to increase public archives access? #AskArchivists
A:@SABCMediaLib SABC Media Library:
@the_archive
http://www.springbokradio.com/ #AskArchivists
Q:SLSarkiv sv.litt.sällskapet:
Do any of you have any Finnish material in your collections? #AskArchivists
A:@SABCMediaLib SABC Media Library:
@SLSarkiv '39 FINNISH MIN SPEAKS IN LONDON ABT RUSSIAN ATTACK ON FINLAND, 3 WKS AFTER FINNS HAD JOINED IN THE WAR). #AskArchivists
Q:townsweb TownsWeb Archiving:
#AskArchivists How do you decide priority for #digitization? Do you consider popularity, condition, accessibility or budget? What else?
A:@SABCMediaLib SABC Media Library:
@townsweb Speed of deterioration #AskArchivists
Related posts:
Ask Archivists Day this week on Twitter
Ask Archivists Day short report back #AskArchivists
http://sabcmedialib.blogspot.com/2011/06/sabc-media-lib-askarchivists-day.html
Blog post compiled by Karen du Toit (@
karentoittoit),
Afrikaans Archivist in the
SABC Radio Archives
