Archives in Practice: ICA Member-led perspectives on archival practice worldwide
Unlocking the African Community Archives at a Time of Crisis: Shaping Inclusive Archival Futures in Africa
Tshepho Mosweu, Villy A. Magero, Florence Dedzoe-Dzokotoe Plockey, Maureen Mnyazi Kenga and Juliet A. Erima
11 December 2025
Recognizing the importance of community archiving practices in Africa, archivists and Librarians from Botswana, Kenya, Ghana and Tunisia joined the “Catalyzing African Community Archives for Social Good” project. This collaboration spans 2024–2025 and aims to shape inclusive and sustainable futures.
A Partnership for Change This initiative brought together the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, African archivists, and international knowledge management organizations. The main goal was to shift the power dynamic in knowledge preservation. The project fostered communities of practice, empowering African partners to use their knowledge and records for social good. It also worked to decolonize and diversify preservation resources that have been centered in the Global North. The team dedicated a full year to regular meetings to develop the core training modules, culminating in a one-week-long workshop at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, to finalize all project deliverables.
Team in Illinois. Photo credit: Tshepho Mosweu.
The New Curriculum for Community Archiving
The key outcome of this collaboration is a comprehensive curriculum or training manual for community archives. It is designed as a simple, yet thorough, guide for training and development in the area of Community Archiving.
The developed modules include:
All project materials, including the modules, are now publicly available. You can read more about the project at <https://cacasg.library.illinois.edu/about/> and explore the training modules directly here: <https://cacasg.library.illinois.edu/modules/>.
A Call for Local Ownership and Context
African archivists in the project issue a strong call to action for the Global South to remember the lost narratives in conversation, behavior, and character of their communities. Instead of relying on external resources to tell their stories as is often the case, the project is founded on the belief that Africans can and should develop resources that are specifically applicable to their own environment and people. This local focus is a highlight of the curriculum, with most examples drawn directly from the African context, such as the Speru dance from the Basubiya community in Botswana, or Kalenjin artifacts from Kenya.
With the Catalyzing African Community Archives for Social Good project, we hope to reignite a long-needed conversation in the digital preservation of Community Archives and Heritage in Africa. The work ensures that future generations will be able to connect their culture and heritage to a tangible source, helping them understand why certain traditions and practices exist depicting the original nuances. These training modules will also complement existing preservation efforts, leveraging tools like the Digital Preservation Coalition toolkit. This project plays a critical role in shaping the evolving concepts, practices, and technologies of archival work within an African context. We encourage institutions and local communities across Africa to utilize these materials for the wider community good.
The researchers are grateful for the support of funding of The Catalyzing African Community Archives for Social Good project from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Chancellor’s Call to Action Research Program, which advances academic and community-based research addressing systemic inequities and social injustices. Further gratitude goes to the project coordinators and the team from the University of Illinois led by Prof. Chris Prom.
