ESTABLISHING A DIGITIZATION PROGRAMME FOR NAMIBIA: PROMISES, PITFALLS AND PROGRESS

Digitization has spread world-wide like an infectious disease and no country has been spared. Guidelines, instructions and policies can be found in abundance on the Internet. Nevertheless, it seems that the same mistakes are made again and again. This paper analyses the experiences of the National Archives of Namibia, which has gone through the whole wide array of pitfalls and mistakes. The paper comes to the conclusion that, under African conditions of very limited resources, certain mistakes are unavoidable until the adequate local conditions have been explored and local solutions have been found

ABSTRACTS OF PRESENTATIONS

Second International Conference on African Digital Libraries and Archives, abstracts of presentation

Archives, ethics, salaries, and the struggle: a view from Namibia

A Namibian project to repatriate and safeguard records of anti-colonial resistance and the liberation struggle is considered in the context of the post-independence period and the present circumstances of the National Archives of Namibia. Ethical questions relating to access to records in a country that was engaged in a liberation war are raised. Authorisation of access and the capacity of African countries to manage their archives are also discussed. The importance of a country having its own archives consolidated and accessible within the country is stressed. (Innovation: 2002 24: 25-31