PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):--- The Department of Communication (DCOMM) Documentalist Lee Williams recently returned from Aruba, attending a National Digital Heritage Strategy Symposium under the banner “Dutch Caribbean Digital Heritage Week” that was held by Coleccion Aruba.
The Prins Bernard Culture Funds section Caribbean is working with stakeholders to preserve the Dutch island's heritage.
The objective of the working visit is to develop a National Archives of Sint Maarten, which entails digitalizing government historical records, videos, and photo collections from the past that had to be salvaged from hurricanes Irma and Maria. The aforementioned would be the nation’s first digital heritage archive of all materials created.
More than 150 heritage organizations work together in the Digital Heritage Network, with the aim of creating a network of digitally connected heritage that is easily findable and usable for various user groups and stakeholders.
The National Digital Heritage Strategy describes how heritage collections can be digitally connected in a sustainable manner. It is of great value that the collections in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom are also sustainably preserved, managed, and made accessible.
The key objectives for all participants are: Mapping existing connections between heritage organizations, individuals, and policymakers; Exploring the power of an organizational network: how and where do people know where to find each other?
To map existing knowledge and resources; Identify knowledge and resource exchange; Identify needs regarding support for heritage organizations and heritage management persons; and the introduction to the Netwerk Digitaal Erfgoed and the National Strategy Digital Heritage.
The conference took place from April 8 – 12.
