Preservation of archival materials at the University of Namibia: Disaster preparedness and management

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating the preservation of archival materials at the University of Namibia Archives with a main focus on the disaster preparedness and management practices used in the Archives in Windhoek The objectives awere: to investigate the preservation methods that are in use at the UNAM Archives; to investigate if there was a policy applied by the archives in the preservation of the archival materials; to find out the preservation needs of the UNAM Archives, to discover the challenges if any experience by the UNAM Archives in the preservation of its materials; and to come up with recommendations to enhance preservation of of material at the UNAM Archives. The study made use of the four (4) phases of the disaster management cycle to examine the strategies used in the preservation of the material,which are: prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. The research design employed to the study was a case study of which the data was collected through the use of interviews and observation. The population of the study was the Archives staff members and purposive sampling was used to select 4 staff members who took part in the study. The data collected was later analyzed through content analysis. The findings revealed that the preservation of archival material in the Unam Archives was not fully effective because of the lack of a disaster management policy in place and inadequate funding due to the financial constraints that led to inadequate training for staff members. However, the archives staff members trained themselves and read more on how to preserve the material in case of any disaster. Furthermore, the archives has equipped itself well with lockable doors, alarm systems, smoke detectors, water sprinklers in order to be prepared for any disaster that may come along in the near future. Based on the findings, recommendations are: the development and implementation of disaster management policy and the training of staff members on the best practices in preservation and disaster management..