CAW! What's the score?

Have you heard about the exciting project that’s going on in Wales, that is getting local community archives digitised in Wales?

CAW is making a splash in the world of digitised community archives. Community Archives Wales (CAW) is running a 15-month pilot project to get 11 Communities First groups across Wales to create their own digital archives.

Digital inclusion is the new thing; it means not only are archives and local heritage saved for posterity but it bridges the digital divide between information rich and poor, by providing opportunities to enhance individual lives and strengthen communities and contributes towards community regeneration both socially and economically. Your personal and local knowledge is the key to a valuable resource for your local community and for the online global community.

The project monitors and evaluates the needs of local community groups in Wales and sees what kind of support, advice, guidance and technical assistance is available out there and what is needed in the future. The project aims to start six new digital communities in the process not only to make communities digitally inclusive but to attract new audiences, to go to libraries and archives, raise standards, of digitisation and the future development of sign resources and digitise local material that is meaningful to the community archive group, the community at large, and in lifelong leaning and education for everyone.

This is as an opportunity to get everyone involved and excited about their own local history. Starting in January 2007, this pilot project ends in May 2008 when we’ll hear the results. To find out more go to the website: www.ourwales.org.uk or www.ourwales.org.uk/index.php