Preservation Of Audiovisual Collections In The J. H. Kwabena Nketia Archives

ABSTRACT Preservation of audio visual collections is challenging but a necessary armament for maintaining the past in the present. It is essential at all levels in archiving. The study researched into the challenges encountered in the preservation of audio visual collections at J. H. Kwabena Neketia Archives in Ghana. Included in the objectives were to: identify the storage media and facilities used for the preservation of audio visual collections in the archives; identify the challenges encountered in preserving audio visual archives; point out digital preservation strategies adopted by the institution‘s archives; and determine what prospects there are for the future in digitization. To meet these set objectives and find answers to the research purpose, a qualitative case study design was used with a target population of five (5) staff members, which was used as the sample size—owing to its manageable size. As a qualitative research, interview and observation methods were employed and the acquired data analyzed qualitatively using content analytic techniques to identify major themes from textual notes. Findings showed that most of the challenges have linked with inadequate financial resource. The challenges, aside collaboration, climatic conditions, obsolete media format and conversion; lack of expertise, unavailability of play back machines, inadequate storage facilities, poor internet connectivity, and lack of storage space all linked to financial constraints. Besides, technological dynamism and practices are the greatest challenge to audio visual archiving. Moreover, as part of preservation strategies, the J. H. Kwabena Nketia Archives has embedded specialized preservation software in their digitization project and adopted the conversion of tape content to MP3 file format. Based on the findings, the study concluded that digitization holds magnified potentials for preservation in archives however the challenges faced with archiving in Ghana are multitude and most have something to do with finance. Recommendations made include fund sourcing, human resource improvement through specialized training, and regular clean up exercise for the entire archives.