#IAW2020 –
Campaign theme is «Empowering Knowledge Societies».
The archival, records and data landscape in the 21st century is changing public expectations, how we do our work, what constitutes credible evidence and how we protect our holdings. Our profession (data and information managers, document managers and archivists) can provides opportunities to ensure we deliver benefits to citizens and Knowledge Societies. What means to us Empowering Knowledge Societies?
Empowering Knowledge Societies is about Artificial Intelligence, Digital Preservation and Emerging Technologies.
Artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are quickly changing how we do our work, but we need to understand both the strength and weaknesses of these technologies in archives and records endeavours. What do they do well? What can they help us do better? How do we engage with these new practices? What are the ethical implications?
These technologies will also impact how we preserve information and make accessible information (records and data), but we not only need to discuss this but there are persisting questions about how to preserve records and data in a sustainable, practical and cost-effective way.
Empowering Knowledge Societies is about Sustainable Knowledge.
Sustainable knowledge is fundamental to sustainable development and the achievement of development initiatives like the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At the core of these initiatives is the need for trustworthy information, regardless of format.
Sustainable information is also about how we protect our holdings from climate change, theft, looting, and illicit trafficking. It also about looking beyond what is done to the archives and records institutions and examining our impact on society and the environment.
Empowering Knowledge Societies is about Trust and Evidence.
In the age of ‘alternative facts’, ‘fake news’, misinformation and cybersecurity threats, the need for trustworthy evidence (records, information, data) has become ever more essential. What is our role in this space? Who are our allies? What is the role of records and archives professionals in the area of internet governance?
Trust and evidence also mean reaching out and understanding what our users need, so that they can believe in what we do and how we acquire, preserve and make accessible information. How do we empower them? To empower us?
How do we better explain and advocate for the essential role played by archivists and information professionals in the Knowledge Societies of the 21st century? From paper to digital, how are you Empowering Knowledge Societies with your work? Let’s challenge what people think we do! Help us tell the world what archives in the Knowledge Societies are about!
From Monday 8 to Sunday 14 June 2020, in light of the health crisis that the world is going through, the International Archives Week will adapt and respect lockdown measures!