Professor Schlesinger Visits South African Archives
March 17, 2010
Cape Town
Professor Kenneth Schlesinger, Lehman's chief librarian, was part of a visiting delegation of archivists who traveled earlier this month to Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa, to tour that nation's leading archival repositories. Sponsored by People to People Citizen Ambassador Programs, the trip ran from March 1-10 and featured facilitated conversations with South African colleagues on a number of predetermined topics. The visit helped to enlarge the delegation's understanding of how archives are managed around the world.
Here is a report by Professor Schlesinger on what he discovered on the trip.
In many respects, Nelson Mandela was the touchstone of this journey. Our first visit in Johannesburg was to the Nelson Mandela Foundation, where we were shown early photographs and facsimiles of letters he wrote to his family from prison. Later we toured desolate Robben Island, where he was imprisoned for sixteen years. One of the highpoints was the beautifully designed Apartheid Museum. Comprised of two parallel tracks of political oppression and community resistance, the museum's culmination in Mandela's election as president in 1994 was unbelievably moving.
Robben Island Prison
Our delegation consisted of five individuals of diverse backgrounds and experience, which gave us an opportunity for in-depth discussions with our peers. We gave considerable attention to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Archives, which have encountered access problems due to inadequate staffing for processing, as well as major privacy and sensitivity issues. The collection is immense: 22,000 testimonies, nearly one linear kilometer of records. Public access has been closed for twenty years, and special viewing permission must be obtained from the Department of Justice. The National Archives serves as custodian of the records.
In discussions at the Mayibuye Archive and Western Cape Archives and Records Service, we found our colleagues to be impassioned and articulate, as well as progressive about community outreach. Many challenges face South African archives, including underfunding and professional training for archivists. Further, much material documenting the liberation struggles was removed from the country for safekeeping. Now repositories are making major efforts to repatriate these collections, seeking funding for digital preservation, yet simultaneously mindful of balancing the complex privacy and intellectual property issues.
Mayibuye Archive, University of Western Cape
Our visit also had a cultural component. Cape Town is one of the world's most beautiful cities, and we took a day trip to the scenic Cape Peninsula, glimpsing ostriches and baboons in the wild, as well as visiting an African Penguin preserve. At Lesendi Cultural Village, we watched authentic reconstructions of tribal dances, followed by an African Feast where we sampled ostrich and crocodile!
South Africa is a fascinating country with a complex, troubled history. While it still faces overwhelming challenges — 43 percent unemployment, major income disparities, a digital and educational divide, as well as an AIDS pandemic — we were captivated by the energy and commitment of this young democracy to embrace and document its rich multicultural heritage.