IFAP supports preservation of audio-visual content in the Sahel
14-12-2006 (Paris)
To preserve various media resources in the Sahel and make them available to future generations, UNESCO, through its Information for All Programme and Kent State University in Ohio, USA, will cooperate to establish the Digital Library of Sahel.
The Sahel region possesses an abundant collection of audiotapes, as well as significant music recordings, films and photographs spanning 50 years and more. Within the framework of UNESCO’s Information for All Programme (IFAP), the Pan-African Studies Department at Kent States University (KSU) will assist the West African Research Centre (WARC) in Dakar, Senegal, to achieve the digitization of part of the audio-visual heritage of the region.
The initiative will result in a website to broadcast information, disseminate assets and initiate the discussion on the preservation of local content in the region. A Distributed Learning Module on Information Literacy will also be developed and integrated in the curricula at KSU and its counterparts in the Sahel region.
According to IFAP’s principles, this cooperation will first focus on the preservation of valuable local knowledge and cultural content. By saving the collection in a digital form, this knowledge will become accessible to more people. Thus, the Digital Library of Sahel will at the same time contribute to the achievement of an inclusive Knowledge Society in the region.
The second aspect of this collaboration is the promotion of scholarly exchange between West Africa and the United States. KSU will not only provide their Africa colleagues with computer units as a kick-off for their work. Key collaborators will receive training on the content and its preservation. They will also be taught in the potential ICT applications that can be used for this purpose. The element fosters the capacity building in the region and helps to ensure the sustainability of the initiative.
The initiative will result in a website to broadcast information, disseminate assets and initiate the discussion on the preservation of local content in the region. A Distributed Learning Module on Information Literacy will also be developed and integrated in the curricula at KSU and its counterparts in the Sahel region.
According to IFAP’s principles, this cooperation will first focus on the preservation of valuable local knowledge and cultural content. By saving the collection in a digital form, this knowledge will become accessible to more people. Thus, the Digital Library of Sahel will at the same time contribute to the achievement of an inclusive Knowledge Society in the region.
The second aspect of this collaboration is the promotion of scholarly exchange between West Africa and the United States. KSU will not only provide their Africa colleagues with computer units as a kick-off for their work. Key collaborators will receive training on the content and its preservation. They will also be taught in the potential ICT applications that can be used for this purpose. The element fosters the capacity building in the region and helps to ensure the sustainability of the initiative.
Related themes/countries
· Libraries: News Archives 2006
· IFAP: News Archives 2006
· Africa: News Archive 2006
· Archives: News Archives 2006
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