Seeks to be at the forefront of technology with remote access to material from the country’s historical memory and rescues documents
The General Archive of the Nation (AGN) advances towards digitization and today already has 30 million images online and the incorporation of valuable historical documents rescued in the country and abroad.
Roberto Cassá, director of the AGN, indicated that the challenges of this entity is to move from conventional paper documentation to the digital format, which is the modality that is growing at an accelerated speed.
¨Our effort in terms of innovation project is to move to a management file as the main element, it is somewhat difficult and implies a management of technology”, expressed Cassá, referring to the fact that they have received proposals from two engineers to create software with this aim.
Corripio Communications Group Lunch
Cassá spoke about the subject during the Corripio Communications Group Lunch. He was accompanied by deputy director José Vilchez; Ángel Hernández, in charge of the National Archives System; Orquídea Correa, from Description and Karina Arias from Communications.
Among the material available digitally is the Dominican Library with almost 11,000 books; more than three million photographs, a considerable part donated by the Corripio Group and a hemographic collection of the Dominican press.
Likewise, the AGN works to make available to the public the collection of annual reports from public institutions since 1844, which add up to nearly 5,000 reports that are already digitized.
Also a digital archive of news from 1961 to 1978, a kind of description or summary and protagonists. In Spain, the documentation on the country is copied from Christopher Columbus until the end of the 19th century, which will allow an important source of research and access to important information from the past. A section of manuscripts with documents of museographic value is being created.
In addition, the AGN is classifying the thousands of documents that rested in the National Palace, Correa explained, detailing that this includes a photographic inventory with more than 310,000 units. She said that they are working on the archival treatment to facilitate access, but from now on those interested can go to the AGN and access through the user service room.
Regarding the quality of these documents, Cassá said that he has not known details and that the transfer of documents began before the year 2000 with a small amount that was later increased to 40,000 boxes and the current president ordered 5,000.
Rescue
The AGN is immersed in the rescue of scattered material in the country and abroad, reported Cassá, after noting that there have been relatives of collectors or intellectuals have returned legacies of documents such as some of the first military intervention of the United States.
While Hernández reported that among the important donations are that of the Guzmán-Ariza law office, Masonic lodges, churches such as the Bishopric of Baní, among others.
This article is originally published on hoy.com.do
