Christopher Jator
21 June 2011
The Regional Archives for Official Gazettes and Newspapers in Douala has in the past not been able to adequately provide the public with the information it requests.
Confined to its Akwa location in a small building, the archives has had to face constant challenges such as insufficient accommodation for its increasing number of users that includes researchers, writers, lawyers, journalists, and students.
Some users are unable to make out the difference between the Official Gazette and the national daily, Cameroon Tribune, explained Samo Marie, Director of the Regional Archives. “This education is important for workers in an institution like ours,” she said, adding that “Such a problem requires the development of an internet website to help spread knowledge about government decisions and latest happenings in Cameroon.”
Going by the documents and books in the archives, one would need some quiet moment to be able to tell the difference between documents in stock. However, the management has effected an online distribution of information to some subscribers as the pilot phase of a bigger online placement.
Retrieving information from archives needs a fee primarily for sustainability – reasons why those appointed to manage the institution say they play the important role of lobbying for subscriptions on radio and personal correspondence. However, collaboration with foreign archival institutions also helps in sustaining the Douala Archives. Prince Kum’a Ndumbe III, writer and author of 70 books, said he has no access problems to archives in the country. “The question is whether archives in the country are attractive enough for research. The internet is an option.”
Created in 1984 to distribute official decisions contained in The Official Gazette and newspapers, the Douala Regional Archives, managed by five employers, also contains books by various authors and publishers.
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Originally posted here:
Cameroon: Regional Archives Improves Services