My Life as a Digitization Technician in Eeyou Istchee

Kory at work doing digitization

As a digitization technician at Aanischaaukamikw Cree Cultural Institution, my primary task is essentially to preserve material from the archives and convert each original file into a digital file.

VHS tapes that need to be digitised

From a profusion of textual documentation to old school playable video and audio formats, this is a pivotal position.

Since I’ve started working at Aanischaaukamikw*, I have had the liberty to access materials and dissect its information. Being part in the preserving process is imperative. Some of the collection requires an extensive amount of care, which makes working at a museum ideal.

Learning to fix a VHS tape so it could be digitized

For instance, one of my practices is analyzing audio and video formats. This is the essential part before inserting any playable formats into a device. If a format is not analyzed, it can be detrimental to our equipment. With that said, acquiring or requiring equipment to our digitization department isn’t as easy as it sounds. 

Equipment we use to digitize 

Firstly, we need to assess used and/or discontinued devices, of which requires specificity on the conditional state of equipment we may be investing. However, we do accept donations on certain types of equipment to advance our department.

Aside from only digitizing materials, digitized files are then transferred to a database, which can be made accessible to a search engine (cree.minisisinc.com). It is basically history on our fingertips. 
With that in mind, it is the most convenient tool for researchers or for a curious mind. Each file holds a significant part of history.

Some of the archives waiting for digitization

The content will only expand as we continually digitize and catalogue the material that’s been donated. 

If you think you may have something valuable culturally, do not hesitant to contact Aanischaaukamikw. We’d be happy to hear from you.

At this point in my tenure, I’ve only scratched its surface. 

As a Cree person, I am intrigued to acquire and learn more information as I continue to preserve what lies in the archives. It is what entices me to play my part in a significant role as a digitization technician.

More digitization equipment

Kory Saganash, Digitization Technician

*Project funded by Library & Archives Canada, Documentary Heritage Communities Program and Listen, Hear Our Voices