(Day 3) Preserving our Heritage Day: A Weekend of Community Archiving at CENTRO
Location: The Silberman School of Social Work
Event Organizer: Center for Puerto Rican Studies
Cost: Free
November 11, 2023 @ 10:00 am – 1:00 pm EST
Thursday, November 9, 2023 – Saturday, November 11, 2023
Join CENTRO for a series exploring the significance of preserving and documenting the historical memory of diasporic and minority communities. As part of our 50th Anniversary, we aim to make our archival experience and knowledge accessible to empower our community and ensure our legacies are woven into the tapestry of global heritage.
Jump start your personal archive today! Archiving your materials does not need to wait. Join us for an introductory workshop on preserving audiovisual materials! Starting at 10 AM, members of XFR Collective and Community Archiving Workshop will be presenting an overview of audiovisual basics: the history of film and magnetic media (video and audio tape), format risks, and care recommendations. Then, they will then introduce a video digitization setup with the minimum equipment needed to transfer magnetic formats like VHS, Hi8, and digital tape format MiniDV. Attendees will be invited to try out equipment and ask questions. Those who attend will be offered two free media transfers by XFR Collective volunteers, to be scheduled at a later date.
Want to digitize photographs and other personal mementos? Drop in at any time between 10AM and 1PM and CENTRO Archives staff will help you scan papers and photographs and will provide guidance on how to store and preserve your personal and family memories.
Collective memory shapes identities, fosters understanding, and forges inclusivity. Through engaging discussions and interactive sessions, we will explore why it is crucial to capture and share the stories of communities that have often been overlooked.
Through this symposium we will:
-Discuss best archival practices for individual and collective community archives
-Learn about copyright laws and restrictions
– Engage in personal digitization workshops
-Explore a comprehensive outline of our shared history
Join us for 3 days with The Schomburg, Lesbian Herstory, The Whitney, and other partners at the CENTRO Library & Archives located in El Barrio!
ABOUT CENTRO ARCHIVES
CENTRO’s Archives is the only repository in the world devoted to documenting Diasporican history. It contains over 6700 cubic feet of material from more than 300 archival collections spanning the 20th and 21st centuries and documents communities in New York City, central Florida, California, Chicago and Philadelphia. CENTRO also holds the records of the Offices of the Government of Puerto Rico in the United States, which extensively documents migration stateside throughout the 20th century. As Puerto Ricans in the diaspora, we know the impact of our communities across the United States and we understand the importance of guarding that history. You can be a part of this history! Join us for 3 days of community, archiving, and learning with CENTRO and our partners!
This event will have simultaneous English to Spanish translation for virtual participants.