Participatory archives: Building on traditions of collaboration, openness, and accessibility at the American University in Cairo

Participatory archives: Building on traditions of collaboration, openness, and accessibility at the American University in Cairo

Department

Rare Books and Special Collections Library

Abstract

The Rare Books and Special Collections Library of the American University in Cairo has a long tradition of embracing collaborative partnerships, openness, and accessibility to create collections using Archives 2.0 principles long before the term was coined. Using participatory and inclusive strategies, the library built collections of national importance, often preserving the historical record of traditionally underrepresented groups. The university and library leveraged these skills to tackle the monumental University on the Square: Documenting Egypt’s 21 st Century Revolution project in response to the 18 days of demonstrations largely centered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square that resulted in the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak. This paper explores the use of participatory models of acquisition to build modern, political archives according to Archives 2.0 principles long established in the Rare Books and Special Collections Library.

Publication Date

2016

Document Type

Book Chapter

Book Title

Bridging Worlds: Emerging Models and Practices of U.S. Academic Libraries Around the Globe

Editors

Raymond Pun, Scott Collard, Justin Parrott

ISBN

9780838988428

Publisher

ACRL

City

Cairo

First Page

91

Last Page

103

Keywords

Archives, Egypt, Digital libraries, History, Protests 2011, Libraries, Special collections, Electronic information resources, Revolutions, Arab countries, History, 21st century

Participatory archives: Building on traditions of collaboration, openness, and accessibility at the American University in Cairo

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