Waaqiah Jaffer
The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, in collaboration with the National Archives and Records Services of South Africa, held its Annual National Archives Awareness Week on 05 June to 09 June.
On 6 June, digitization was the main topic at the Khotso Flatela Archives Repository in Kimberley. This year’s theme was “Leave No one Behind: Archives in The Era of Artificial Intelligence.”
The functions of the Khotso Flatela Archives entail preserving public and non-public records with enduring value for use by the public and ensuring proper management and care of all documents. These records are made accessible and promote their use by the public.
The staff members at Khotso Flatela Archives Repository were joined by stakeholders: The South African Local Government Association (SALGA), Sol Plaatje University (SPU), The University of South Africa (UNISA) as well as the Department of Education.
The event aimed to raise awareness and inform the communities about the importance of archives and records. During this period, public members are allowed access to the building to familiarize themselves with archive services and functionality.
Attendees in the audience as well as guests who joined the conversation online and were allowed to ask questions and raise their concerns to the relative speakers.
Amongst the speakers were Mr. Andrew Geweer, Adv. Dennis Maake (Head of the National Film, Video, and Sound Archive) and Mr. Alexio Motsi. During the discussion, the speakers announced that the department would be moving towards a digitalized system, indicating that they will be approaching the 5 Industrial Revolution and introducing Artificial Intelligence.
In Addition, the department provides a platform for libraries and information managers. The South African Library for The Blind was also in attendance. Utilities for the visually impaired, including a daisy player, braille book, zoom text keyboard, children tactile and a hack or document reader, were on display.
The department mentioned that their services are currently operating manually, but they intend to improve public services and create a conducive environment. Moving towards digitization and leaving behind the traditional way of doing things will ensure this happens. A smart archival app for information retrieval and scanners was proposed, providing easy access to records.
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