It is with heavy-heart that I must report that the Pacific Regional Branch International Council on Archives (PARBICA) 17 has officially come to a close today.
What’s PARBICA 17? It was the seventeenth conference that ran from 4 to 7 September 2017 at the Pearl Resort in Suva, Fiji. PARBICA 17 provided an opportunity for the archivists and records managers of the Pacific Islands region, Australia, New Zealand and the USA to renew professional contacts and share experiences with each other. PARBICA’s conferences are a biennial event that no archivist or records manager in the Pacific Islands region can afford to miss.
This year’s theme was Archives Engaged: Personal, Professional, Political. The sessions that were chosen truly epitomized the theme and we saw a wide range of excellent Pacific Islands archival endeavors, projects and programs being executed throughout the region. The program was structured with a mixture of conference sessions and practical training workshops. Conference content included topics such as engagement strategies and the implementation of engagement program (physical and virtual), building professional and strategic relationships. Workshops covered topics including; records management, oral history, disaster preparedness and UNESCO’s Recommendation on Documentary Heritage.
Because PARBICA is composed of a very colorful, passionate and close-knit group, collaboration among topics regarding archival issues and achievements was easily shared. Although we might be scattered across a mighty ocean, we feel closely connected by our devotion and love for preserving and making access to wonderful and unique cultural hertiages of the Pacific Islands.
Look for a more detailed report about PARBICA 17 in the coming weeks.
The beach at the Pearl Resort, Fiji
Island Time 