Minister Anroux Marais Officially Opens 2017 SA Society Of Archivists Conference

WESTERN CAPE MINISTER OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS AND SPORT, ANROUX MARAIS

2017 SOUTH AFRICAN SOCIETY OF ARCHIVISTS CONFERENCE

5 JULY 2017

Good morning, goeiemôre, molweni nonke,

It is always a great joy to be in the company of archivists and an even greater pleasure to address you at the 2017 South African Society of Archivists Conference here today.

The three-day conference serves as a platform to discuss, deliberate and collaboratively devise recommendations in terms of innovation and developments in archives and records management in the digital era.

The digital era is about using technology to improve the daily lives of society. It enables organizations to work smarter and more cost effectively. It is therefore heartening that archivists and records managers world-wide are embracing the digital era in which we find ourselves.

Because information technology has been proven to disseminate information quicker, embracing technology for creation, management and providing access to information is a highly commended global practice. The application of technology to store, analyse and disseminate information is not only providing swifter and more effective methods for decision-making, but is also opening opportunities to improve relationships with those we serve.

Organizations across the world produce and accumulate significant amounts of information needed for decision-making and service delivery, which requires sophisticated ways of managing and accessing. It is for this reason that new technological innovations are needed. Technology, however, evolves at a rapid pace, what works today may not be as efficient tomorrow. It is therefore pivotal to keep up with new trends and learn how to embrace the changes through engagements of this nature as we aim to do at this conference.

Technologies have been incorporated in archives management, for example, digitization for preservation and access, encoded archival description and web access. I am happy to announce that in the Western Cape, we have taken great strides in implementing and using technologies in archives and records management, such as Enterprise Content Management and digitization of archival records. I have noticed with interest that there are quite a number of presentations on the digital archive or repository and we look forward to learning more about this matter.  We have also recently released the records management, digitization and electronic signatures policies to guide Western Cape governmental bodies in the digital environment.

The authenticity and credibility of digital records and their security are still highly contentious matters. I trust that this conference will afford all delegates the opportunity to gain further insight into archives, records and innovation in the digital era and what works best in their respective contexts.

I now take this opportunity to welcome you all to the Western Cape and to the 2017 SASA Conference, with a special focus on archives, records and innovation in the digital era.

I thank you.