UG Library to Host Two-Day Colloquium on the Development of the Digital Archive of Guyanese and Caribbean Festivals, Literature and Culture

A photo from a previous exhibition hosted by the Caribbean Research Library

The University of Guyana Library will host a Colloquium on the Development of the Digital Archive of Guyanese and Caribbean Festivals, Literature and Culture on March 27 and 28, 2024. The Colloquium will be held at the university’s Education Lecture Theatre on the Turkeyen Campus and is open free to the general public.

UG’s Caribbean Research Library houses specialised paper-based and multimedia collections from the Guianas, the Caribbean, and the Caribbean diaspora. They include the Union of Culture Clubs, Norman Cameron, J. B. Singh, A. J. Seymour, Legal Deposit, and Guyana Prize for Literature collections.

The objectives for Day 1 are: (a) to introduce a spectrum of archives in Guyana containing materials related to Guyanese festivals, literature, and culture and (b) to explore expectations for the Digital Archive of Guyanese and Caribbean Festivals, Literature, and Culture. Day 2 will address the lessons learned from regional and international experiences in developing digital archives and will consider strategies for moving forward.

UG’s faculty and staff, along with Dr. Vibert Cambridge, A.A., Professor Emeritus, School of Media Arts and Studies, Ohio University, and Dr. Adrienne Rooney, Postdoctoral Fellow, Frederick Douglas Institute and Department of Black Studies, University of Rochester, will serve as facilitators.

Dr. Vibert Cambridge and Dr. Adrienne Rooney, along with Dr. Ramaesh J. Bhagirat-Rivera, Assistant Professor of Critical Mixed Race Studies, Department of Asian and Asian American Studies, Binghamton University, organised and facilitated the international symposium to mark the 50th anniversary of the inaugural Caribbean Festival of Arts in August 2022.

University of Guyana Librarian, Mrs. Gwyneth George said: “The University is extremely delighted to host the Colloquium, as it will give prominence to the very topical issue of digitisation and digital libraries and information centres that is trending in today’s world due to the impact of the application of modern information technology. It will also provide a much-needed database for retrieving, preserving, and disseminating materials representative of these defining aspects of Guyanese and Caribbean heritage, creativity, aspiration, and innovation.”

Since the conclusion of the three-day international symposium The Inaugural Caribbean Festival of Arts as Prism: 20th Century Festivals in the Multilingual Caribbean in August 2022, the UG Library, along with the symposium organisers, has concluded Phase I in “building” the digital archive. They have created a dedicated space for professional-grade equipment that will make possible the digitisation of the Carifesta materials held by UG and materials anticipated from the public. Phase I also included crowd-sourcing related materials and gaining opportunities for UG Library staff to acquire the competencies needed for digital archiving. The training was completed.

The Colloquium will launch the second phase in the development of the digital archive. Public participation is expected to provide actionable insights to guide Phase II of the development of the Digital Archive of Guyanese and Caribbean Festivals, Literature, and Culture.

University staff and students, as well as members of the public, are invited to visit https://www.carifestaat50.comto learn more about The Inaugural Caribbean Festival of Arts as Prism: 20th Century Festivals in the Multilingual Caribbean held August 5–7, 2022. This website was created as a precursor to the digital archive. It is continually populated with materials on Carifesta and the arts.

The University of Guyana in Brief

The University of Guyana, the national University of Guyana, now in its 60th year, was founded in October 1963, three years before Guyana became independent. “UG”, as it is fondly referred to, offers over 160 distinct programmes in over 60 disciplines, from certificates, Bachelor’s degrees, Master’s Degrees to Ph.D.’s. These programmes are offered online, face-to-face or in blended formats. UG delivers through a Guyana-based system across eight campuses. This includes its 35-year-old community-based Institute for Distance and Continuing Education (IDCE) and the second major campus at Tain in Berbice celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2025. The University of Guyana’s student population is over 11,000.

Through its eight (8) Faculties, including an accredited College of Medical Sciences, School for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation and the Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences which is ranked # 5 globally. “UG” has provided education, training and research for over 60,000 alumni over its 60-year history with significant national and global impact. Other faculties include the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, the Faculty of Natural Sciences, the College of Behavioural Sciences and Research, the Faculty of Education and Humanities and the Faculty of Social Sciences. The University is also home to ten (10) Research Institutes including the internationally important Centre for Biodiversity, the Institute for Food and Nutrition Security, the Institute for Innovation, Research and Entrepreneurship, the Institute for Energy Diplomacy, the Green Institute, the Institute for Human Resiliency, Strategic Security and the Future, and the International Centre for Excellence in Early Childhood Education.

The mission of the University of Guyana is to discover, generate, disseminate, and apply knowledge of the highest standard for advancement of communities, the nation, and mankind within an atmosphere of academic freedom, transparent accountability, pragmatic innovation, and universal respect.

UG’s forward-thinking Blueprint 2040 is currently setting the course for the University’s future design and institutional response to the changing needs of Guyana, the region and the world. UG is currently celebrating its 60th anniversary with a renewed focus on becoming the leading teaching and research University in Guyana. Visit UG at www.uog.edu.gy