IASA 2018 Annual Conference

The paper will discuss challenges and opportunities for starting a university archives in Kyrgyzstan. Independent, democratic, and post-Soviet Kyrgyzstan is going through multiple transformations involving the country’s cultural identity, social structure and public institutions, all of which have an impact on educational and cultural developments.  The presentation provides an overview of multiple archival projects of the library of the American University of Central Asia, including the virtual museum of prominent statesman Ishak Razzakov, a collection of oral histories, and 3D exhibit of archaeological artifacts.  The projects, initiated and implemented by enthusiastic librarians, are now being revised for improvements to enhance discoverability and accessibility.  The presentation will discuss challenges encountered along the implementation, focusing on knowledge and expertise gaps that constrain the successful archival projects. Also included are implications and suggestions on archival expertise and communities of interests needed by librarians in the context of limited archival practices and professional resources.  Kyrgyzstan’s system of archives was established in the Soviet era and was designated mainly for maintaining government documentation.  Little has changed since then, and there is a significant lack of archival expertise at country’s cultural institutions, especially in maintaining audiovisual materials.   As part of the GLAM network, libraries in Kyrgyzstan can potentially fill this gap if exposed to relevant training, best practices and connected to professional networks.