Skip to main content

Involving Source Communities in the Digitization and Preservation of Indigenous Knowledge

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
  • 2530 Accesses

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNISA,volume 10075))

Abstract

The digital era has transformed the ways people share information and preserve knowledge for the future. Increasingly, Web 2.0 technologies have been used for participatory practices aimed at constructing cultural heritage knowledge. Memory institutions, including libraries and museums have become keen on opportunities to engage with potential partners and collaborators. For such participatory construction of cultural knowledge to be successful however, some underlying contradictions between traditional documentary practices that privilege ‘expert knowledge’ and the distributed social Web practices that emphasize the allowance for multiple (at times contradictory) perspectives need to be resolved. This interpretive qualitative study examines the values and challenges of collaborating with communities who are the originators, owners and/or guardians of the traditional beliefs, expressions and other cultural artifacts that bear the indigenous knowledge of a cultural group, as well as people who are recognized by indigenous communities to hold the knowledge. Data was collected through 27 semi-structured interviews in Ghana.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Lodhi, S., Mikulecky, P.: Management of indigenous knowledge for developing countries (2010). http://www.wseas.us/e-library/conferences/2010/Tenerife/COMATIA/COMATIA-13.pdf

  2. Srinivasan, R.S., Boast, R., Furner, J., Becvar, K.M.: Digital museums and diverse cultural knowledges: moving past the traditional catalog. Inf. Soc. 25(4), 265–278 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Whaanga, H., Bainbridge, D., Anderson, M., Scrivener, K.I., Cader, P., Roa, T., Keegan, T.K.: He Matapihi Mā Mua, Mō Muri: the ethics, processes and procedures associated with the digitization of indigenous knowledge - the Pei Jones Collection. Cataloging Classif. Q. 53(5–6), 520–547 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Boamah, E.: Ghanaian library and information science professionals’ conception of digital libraries: a phenomenographic study. (Master of Arts), Tallinn University (2009). https://oda.hio.no/jspui/bitstream/10642/872/2/Boamah_Eric.pdf

  5. Liew, C.L., Cheetham, F.: Participatory culture in memory institutions: of diversity, ethics and trust? D-Lib Mag. 22(7/8) (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Liew, C.L.: Collaborative construction of digital cultural heritage: a synthesis of research on online sociability determinants. D-Lib Mag. 21(11/12), 5 (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Boamah, E.: Towards effective management and preservation of digital cultural heritage resources: an exploration of contextual factors in Ghana. (Doctoral Disseertation), Victoria University of Wellington (2014). http://hdl.handle.net/10063/3270

  8. Ayiku, R.: Symbolic meanings in the Ghanaian arts: a step towards developing cultural legacy. Marilyn Zurmumenhlen Working Papers in Art Education 14(1), 2–11 (1997)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Kargbo, J.A.: Oral traditions and libraries. Lib. Rev. 57(6), 442–448 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Moahi, K.H.: Promoting African indigenous knowledge in the knowledge economy: exploring the role of higher education and libraries. New Inf. Perspect. 64(5), 540–554 (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Gardiner, G., McDonald, J., Byrne, A., Thorpe, K.: Respect, trust and engagement: creating an Australian indigenous data archive. Collect. Build. 30(4), 148–154 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Christen, K.: Opening archives: respectful repatriation. Am. Archivist 74(1), 185–210 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Taylor, L.: Digitisation of indigenous cultural resources. Aust. Aboriginal Stud. 2007(1), 1–2 (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Filson, C.K., Afful-Arthur, P.: Knowledge management in indigenous medicine. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal) Paper 1388 (2016). http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3809&context=libphilprac

  15. Dadzie, P.S., van der Walk, T.: Digitising University Libraries in Ghana: How technology is facilitating access to digital content and services. Mousaion, 33(3) (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Koranteng, K.A.: Framework for digital preservation of electronic government in Ghana. (Doctor of Philosophy and Literature), University of South Africa, Pretoria (2015). http://hdl.handle.net/10500/20118

  17. Plockey, F.D.-D.: Indigenous knowledge production, digital media and academic libraries in Ghana. J. Pan Afr. Stud. 8(4), 32–44 (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Leti Arts. Press Release: Leti releases Ananse Superhero Game for Windows Phone (2013). http://letiarts.com/now-available-ananse-origin-game/

  19. Nyomi, K.: Making of Oware 3D. Exclusive behind the scenes footage of the making of Oware 3D (Part 3) (2013). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PG8n_biZo3I

  20. Opoku-Agyeman, K.: Lost/gained in translation: Oware 3D, Ananse: the origin and questions of hegemony. J. Gaming Virtual Worlds 7(2), 155–168 (2015). doi:10.1386/jgvw.7.2.155_1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Ashesi University. (n.d.). Bridging a divide: Kobla Nyomi ‘11 discusses his Oware 3D games, and why he us building it. http://www.ashesi.edu.gh/academics/45-bulletin/features/1486-bridging-a-divide-kobla-nyomi-11-discusses-his-oware-3d-game-and-why-he-is-building-it.html

  22. Awuah-Nyamekye, S.: Indigenous ways of creating environmental awareness: a case study from Berekum Traditional Area, Ghana. J. Study Religion Nat. Cult. 8(1), 46–63 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Korang-Okrah, R., Haight, W.: Ghanaian (Akan) women’s experience of widowhood and property rights violations: an ethnographic inquiry. Qual. Soc. Work 14(2), 224–241 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Korang-Okrah, R.: Risk and resilience: Ghanaian (Akan) widows and property rights (Doctor of Philosophy), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2011). https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/bitstream/handle/2142/29439/KORANG-OKRAH_ROSE.pdf?sequence=1

  25. Plockey, F.D.-D.: The role of Ghana Public Libraries in the digitization of indigenous knowledge: issues and prospects. J. Pan African Stud. 6(10), 20–36 (2014)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chern Li Liew .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing AG

About this paper

Cite this paper

Boamah, E., Liew, C.L. (2016). Involving Source Communities in the Digitization and Preservation of Indigenous Knowledge. In: Morishima, A., Rauber, A., Liew, C. (eds) Digital Libraries: Knowledge, Information, and Data in an Open Access Society. ICADL 2016. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 10075. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49304-6_4

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49304-6_4

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-49303-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-49304-6

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics