1. Reclaiming Memory : how can Caribbean archives contribute ? A Martinican example Dominique Taffin, Archives départementales de la Martinique

2. Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique

3. I The rise of historical consciousness 1.1 An overview of Martinique 403 000 inhabitants A French territory since 1635 From the colonial status to that of overseas region Citizenship since 1848

4. Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique 1.2 Public history : history as a leisure or as a need? 1.2.1 Searching and teaching history in Martinique from the XIXth c. to present 1.2.2 New practices : Amateurs and general public, genealogy

5. Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique 1.2 Public history : history as a leisure or as a need? “We were never taught our history” : the “our ancestors, the Gauls” syndrome TTeaching Martinican and Caribbean History at school DDecolonization, nationalism and identity : the role of history TThe slavery issue

6. 1.2 Public history : history as a leisure or as a need? 1.2.5 New practices : Amateurs and general public, Genealogy  First clubs : the “béké” club  The migrants’ club  Local clubs : family history, friends of Archives…

7. Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique II First responses of Archives to the demand 2.1 Flashback on the history of archives in Martinique 2.2 New directions for outreach since 2000  2.2.1 Knowing more about the audience  2.2.2 The action plan 2.3 Outreach programs in education 2.4 Outreach programs for the general public 2.5 Assessing outcomes

8. Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique 2.1 Flashback on the history of archives in Martinique Established 1949, building in 1973, extended 1998 Most old documents kept overseas Educational programs since the beginning But keeping themselves beside the public debate on history and its public usages

9. Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique

10. 2.2 New directions for outreach since 2000 2.2.1 Knowing more about the audience  Reading-room users  Visitors 2.2.2 The action plan

11. Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique 2.2 New directions for outreach since 2000 2.2.1 Knowing more about the audience 2.2.2 The action plan :  how to reach new audience and reflect social diversity in the use of archives  How to address the urgent claims for memory  How to develop trust and make the Archives the Archives of the people : outreach and donors

12. Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique 2.3 Outreach programs in education Meetings with the teachers :  The 2007 conference on « teaching history in the Caribbean » Visits and workshops with schoolchildren Publication of educational thematic books  Indian immigration  Women  World War I

13. Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique 2.4 Outreach programs for the general public Exhibitions  Free colored people,  Catholic church and popular religion…

14. Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique Conferences, presentations

15. Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique 2.5 Assessment Success of the education program Improvement of the media image of the Archives Exhibitions What is left to do :  Moving from an « elite » audience to a popular audience  Developing traveling exhibitions  Conferences : targeting public expectations

16. Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique III New perspectives The Banque numérique des patrimoines martiniquais The Martinican cultural Heritage Portal

17. Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique 3.1 Goals 3.1.1 External objectives  a way to reach our distant public  a response to the urging demand for direct access to documents and knowledge : an ATM to history and culture?  reaching a younger audience  tuning “old world” notion of cultural heritage with a “new world” approach

18. Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique 3.1 Purpose and objectives 3.1.2 Internal objectives  Revising our notion of Archives : resource +services  Refining the skills of the staff in interacting with the public  Learning how to work together with people having other skills

19. Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique 3.2 Merging access strategies to cultural heritage 3.2.1 Archives, historical landmarks, artworks, untangible heritage altogether in one portal 3.2.2 Networking and partnership wanted!

20. Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique

21. 3.3 A tentative user-friendly approach Integrating a GIS system Easy search and filtered search Multilevel approach for different audiences: general public, specialists, education Collaborative indexation

22. Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique

23. The GIS

24. Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique A multilevel approach for different audiences

25. Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique A multilevel approach for different audiences

26. Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique Collaborative indexation

27. Dominique Taffin - Archives départementales de la Martinique As a conclusion A renewed reflection on our 2002 outreach objectives  network and partnership : a better investigation on the social networks, and now the virtual ones that Facebook etc. have allowed  a deeper impact assessment of our actual audience so as to keep up with priorities of action  An efficient communication  And, above all, keeping from routine!

28. Thank you for your attention. Look forward to your questions… Dominique Taffin, Archives départementales, taffin@cg972.fr