By Andrea Walker, audiovisual archivist This Human Rights Day, we’re highlighting the collections in the AV Archive that have a large human rights component. There are 44 collections in the AV Archive, almost entirely falling into six categories. BVF44—Orphans, is the only collection that does not fall into a category. It is made up of […]

by Mandy Noble Mandy Noble is the Principal Librarian for Published Collections in Special Collections at UCT Libraries. Nearly two years have passed since the devastating fire on April 18, 2021, which saw the destruction of the Jagger Reading Room and all the contents therein. The salvage of the library materials that were not damaged […]

By Andrea Walker with  Bev Angus Andrea Walker is an audiovisual archivist in Special Collections, chiefly responsible for the Audiovisual Archive. Bev Angus retired at the end of 2021, after decades working in Special Collections, curating the African Film Collection. Initially believed to be entirely destroyed by fire, the AV team has recovered at least […]

By Susan Mvungi Susan Mvungi is an archivist in the Primary Collections Department in Special Collections, UCT Libraries Susan Harris showing film students how to use the Cintel scanner (Scans 16mm and 35mm film) The Audio-visual archive was water damaged from the Jagger Library fire in April 2021, as it was housed in the basement. […]

Compiled by Michal Singer with contributions from Isaac Ntabankulu (UCT Libraries) and Theophile de Bonnaventure (Memorist South Africa) For decades, large and unwieldy drawings and plans have made physical – and digital – access elusive and risk damage to the materials. In 1993, Jill Gribble, former archivist in the Manuscripts and Archives Department, recounted that […]