This November, Dr. Franks will be traveling to Yaounde, Cameroon, to speak at the 2018 International Council on Archives Conference. This year’s theme is Archives: Governance, Memory and Heritage. This will be the first ICA Conference to be held in an Africa country. As such, during this conference, the challenges that face African nations in regards to the preservation of the national heritage will be front and center.
Dr. Franks will be discussing a Snapshot in Time: The National Archives of 54 African Nations:
Not all 54 African nations have official national archives, although all have officials and citizens who understand the value of their cultural heritage and are dedicated to the pursuit of gathering, preserving, and providing access to archival materials that can be used to tell the story of their countries. This presentation will provide a glimpse into the status of national archives in the 54 countries based on data gathered between September 2016 and December 2017.
Organizers hope that this conference will bring together archivists and information professionals from all 54 countries on the African continent. ICA believes this will provide the best environment for nations to discuss their archival objectives as a means of furthering Africa’s development.
To learn more about the conference, click on the link provided.
International Directory of National Archives 