Decaying Records: Building a digital archive to preserve the history of enslaved people
By Daniel Genkins, Postdoctoral Fellow in History, Vanderbilt University Paper documents are still priceless records of the past, even in a digital world. Primary sources stored in local archives throughout Latin America, for example, describe a centuries-old multiethnic society grappling with questions of race, class and religion. However, paper archives are vulnerable to flooding, humidity, insects, and rodents, among other threats. Political instability can cut off money used to maintain archives and institutional neglect can transform precious records into moldy rubbish. Working closely with colleagues from around the world, I build digital archives and specialized tools that help us...
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