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Making African Academic Resources Accessible at the University of Ghana: A sustainable collaborative project
Journal of Digital Media Management,
12
(1),
76-91
(2023)
Abstract
This paper discusses the Making African Academic Resources Accessible (MAARA) Project — a collaboration between the Audiovisual Preservation Exchanges at New York University and the Institute of African Studies at the University of Ghana. Since the project launched in 2014, archival staff at the Institute of African Studies have been physically preserving endangered audio assets deposited on quarter-inch open reels, and have digitised thousands of hours of digital audio files to make them accessible to the university community and hence support academic research and creative engagement. This paper describes how MAARA has created a model for audio preservation in the region, with a number of training and mentorship projects emerging from the project. It is hoped that the results described in this paper will pique the interest of potential funders and enthusiasts of cultural heritage preservation as to the possibilities of engaging in sustainable cooperative projects in less-endowed heritage institutions.
Keywords: audio preservation; African archives; cultural heritage preservation; tape degradation; academic resources; preservation; accessibility; collaboration; sustainability; digital preservation
The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.
Author's Biography
Judith Opoku-Boateng As a Senior Archivist at the J. H. Kwabena Nketia Archives, University of Ghana, Judith Opoku-Boateng leads a dynamic audiovisual and paper heritage preservation program. This initiative not only supports academic research but also fosters creative engagement. With formal qualifications in sociology and archival studies from the University of Ghana, Judith brings a wealth of expertise to her role. Prior to her current position, she served as Principal Research Assistant at the University’s International Centre for African Music and Dance (ICAMD). Beyond her institutional roles, Judith held the distinguished position of Vice President for Communications at the International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives (IASA), from 2020 to 2023. She is also a valuable member of advisory boards for significant entities such as the Global Audiovisual Archiving Biennial Conference, the Broadcast Media Africa program, and the National Committee of the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme in Ghana. Judith’s contributions span both local and international spheres, focusing on the preservation of audiovisual heritage and the advancement of archiving as a profession. Her research and insights have been widely disseminated, with numerous presentations on the subject on a global scale.
