About
The Ulwazi Programme, run through the eThekwini Municipal Library, is a pilot project to collect and store indigenous knowledge in Durban. Digital information and communication technologies have revolutionised the ways in which knowledge and technical know-how travel around the world. The extent to which information requirements are met by the Internet throughout the world is reflected in the high usage statistics of developed countries. The global trend of using the Internet for preservation and dissemination of information poses problems for the African information community, which, due to the small amount of local, African content on the Web, is at a major disadvantage in the current knowledge economy.
The Ulwazi programme has been established to bridge this gap within the local communities of the eThekwini Municipality. The programme is based on a model whereby online indigenous knowledge resources are established as an integral part of local Public Library and Information Services. Web 2.0 technologies are used to create a collaborative, online and local indigenous knowledge database. Community participation ensures the collection, recording, preservation and sharing of local knowledge while the library focuses on custodianship of the information resource, providing database management, training and support.
Problem
The eThekwini Municipal Library wanted to create a system in which local communities could manage their own knowledge, with the Library acting as a custodian. The system had to be able to handle different media and be intuitive to use. The community also needed to be trained in the collection and management processes required to run a project of this kind.
Solution
The MediaWiki open-source framework was chosen to run the knowledge management side of the project. MediaWiki is the software used by Wikipedia. It allows a community of users to independently add and edit content and also has built in tools to keep track of changes made.
Firstly, we commissioned Dominic Strauss from Tokyo Studio to design a logo and icons for the programme to give it a distinct identity. We then developed a website to provide information on the programme and a blog to publish news and updates. We developed the main MediaWiki-based knowledge management database, dividing the information into the three broad categories of Culture, Environment and History. Using our contacts in the culture and heritage industry in Durban, we sourced content to seed the database.
We then set about developing training material on managing the Wiki and using the audio-visual equipment required to collect the oral histories and other indigenous knowledge. Together with systems librarian Betsie Greyling, we interviewed and hired community field-workers who were then trained to collect information from their communities and load it into the database. They have also been asked to provide training to other interested members of their communities. Lastly, we set up social media accounts on Flickr and Twitter to promote the programme and a channel on Vimeo to host the programme’s oral history videos.
Result
The pilot project has been a huge success with the head of the eThekwini Libraries & Heritage Department rolling out the programme to all libraries in Durban.
Website
www.ulwazi.org
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