Managing and Preserving Records and Archives that Guard Against Collective Amnesia

Abstract

The article discusses the critical role of records and archives management in protecting the collective memory and safeguarding collective amnesia of institutions and societies. The article touches on some key factors responsible for “collective memory loss” and cites instances of memory loss from the West African region in general and Ghana in particular. The article proposes the following as the way forward: improvement in information culture; development of strong infrastructure of laws, policies and systems; new breed of information professionals, stronger professional collaboration and the revamping of the curricula of training institutions.

Keywords: Records and Archives Management, Protecting the Collective Memory, Amnesia of Institutions and Societies