Reclaiming Memory : how can Caribbean archives contribute ?
A Martinican example
Dominique Taffin, Archives départementales de la Martinique
Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique
Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique
I The rise of historical consciousness1.1 An overview of Martinique
403 000 inhabitants A French territory
since 1635 From the colonial
status to that of overseas region
Citizenship since 1848
Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique
1.2 Public history : history as a leisure or as a need? 1.2.1 Searching and teaching history in
Martinique from the XIXth c. to present 1.2.2 New practices : Amateurs and
general public, genealogy
Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique
1.2 Public history : history as a leisure or as a need? “We were never taught our history” : the
“our ancestors, the Gauls” syndromeTeaching Martinican and Caribbean History at
schoolDecolonization, nationalism and identity : the
role of historyThe slavery issue
Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique
1.2 Public history : history as a leisure or as a need? 1.2.5 New practices : Amateurs and
general public, GenealogyFirst clubs : the “béké” clubThe migrants’ clubLocal clubs : family history, friends of
Archives…
Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique
II First responses of Archives to the demand 2.1 Flashback on the history of archives in
Martinique 2.2 New directions for outreach since 2000
2.2.1 Knowing more about the audience 2.2.2 The action plan
2.3 Outreach programs in education 2.4 Outreach programs for the general public 2.5 Assessing outcomes
Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique
2.1 Flashback on the history of archives in Martinique Established 1949, building in 1973,
extended 1998 Most old documents kept overseas Educational programs since the beginning But keeping themselves beside the public
debate on history and its public usages
Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique
Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique
2.2 New directions for outreach since 2000 2.2.1 Knowing more about the audience
Reading-room usersVisitors
2.2.2 The action plan
Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique
2.2 New directions for outreach since 2000 2.2.1 Knowing more about the audience 2.2.2 The action plan :
how to reach new audience and reflect social diversity in the use of archives
How to address the urgent claims for memoryHow to develop trust and make the Archives
the Archives of the people : outreach and donors
Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique
2.3 Outreach programs in education Meetings with the teachers :
The 2007 conference on « teaching history in the Caribbean »
Visits and workshops with schoolchildren Publication of educational thematic books
Indian immigrationWomenWorld War I
Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique
2.4 Outreach programs for the general public Exhibitions
Free colored people,
Catholic church and popular religion…
Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique
Conferences, presentations
Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique
2.5 Assessment
Success of the education program Improvement of the media image of the Archives Exhibitions What is left to do :
Moving from an « elite » audience to a popular audience
Developing traveling exhibitions Conferences : targeting public expectations
Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique
III New perspectives
The Banque numérique des patrimoines martiniquais
The Martinican cultural Heritage Portal
Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique
3.1 Goals
3.1.1 External objectivesa way to reach our distant publica response to the urging demand for direct
access to documents and knowledge : an ATM to history and culture?
reaching a younger audience tuning “old world” notion of cultural heritage
with a “new world” approach
Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique
3.1 Purpose and objectives
3.1.2 Internal objectivesRevising our notion of Archives : resource
+servicesRefining the skills of the staff in interacting
with the publicLearning how to work together with people
having other skills
Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique
3.2 Merging access strategies to cultural heritage 3.2.1 Archives, historical landmarks,
artworks, untangible heritage altogether in one portal
3.2.2 Networking and partnership wanted!
Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique
Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique
3.3 A tentative user-friendly approach Integrating a GIS system Easy search and filtered search Multilevel approach for different
audiences: general public, specialists, education
Collaborative indexation
Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique
Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique
The GIS
Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique
A multilevel approach for different audiences
Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique
A multilevel approach for different audiences
Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique
Collaborative indexation
Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique
As a conclusion
A renewed reflection on our 2002 outreach objectives network and partnership : a better investigation on the
social networks, and now the virtual ones that Facebook etc. have allowed
a deeper impact assessment of our actual audience so as to keep up with priorities of action
An efficient communication And, above all, keeping from routine!
Thank you for your attention. Look forward to your questions…
Dominique Taffin, Archives départementales, [email protected]