Marketing and public programming in records and archives at the Tanzania Records and Archives Management Department

Abstract

Archival institutions hold valuable collections in different forms and formats including correspondence, manuscripts, reports, and audio visual materials such as photographs,maps, plans, audiotapes, videos and films. Marketing and public programming are essential means for increasing the utilization of archival materials. However, many archival institutions particularly in Africa do not have effective marketing and public programming through which the general public could be made aware of the uniquearchival materials preserved by their state archives. As such, many of these materials arenot utilized fully as evidenced by the low numbers of researchers consulting archives especially within the eastern and southern African region. The purpose of this paper is to assess the current marketing and public programming being undertaken by RAMD for effective promotion of its archival materials. Data was gathered through interviews withsome officers at RAMD, as well as documentary and literature review. The paper reveals that marketing and public programming activities conducted at RAMD are insufficient and ineffective as they are only concentrated in particular areas leaving the wider community unaware of the archival resources and services provided by the department. The paperconcludes by arguing that marketing and public programming remains the key topromoting and encouraging the use of services provided by RAMD. It is recommended thatRAMD uses the modern information communication technologies to develop its own website through which archival information about its materials and resources could be uploaded for the general public’s easy accessibility.

Keywords: archives, marketing, marketing mix, outreach, records, advocacy, public programming