The Municipal Archive of La Orotava becomes the first in the Canary Islands to include oral tradition as a source of knowledge and a research tool for the reconstruction of the past with these testimonies. This was reported yesterday by the Orotavian City Council, which added that despite being a procedure in numerous investigations and works, “it is true that the archives do not keep these important resources.” From now on it will be done in the Villa “for its custody, cataloging, consultation and conservation in the best conditions,” said the accidental mayor and Councilor for Archives and Library, Delia Escobar.
For this reason, a call is opened to researchers, groups, associations, students and institutions who want to make use of this resource, in such a way that those works and research based on orality have an institution that protects and safeguards them. In this first stage of the project, the collection and custody of the material is contemplated, but it is evaluated for subsequent stages, including the compilation of interviews and carrying out others in an unpublished way in order to be able to revalue orality as a source of knowledge, «already that so far no archive in the archipelago includes these services, “said Delia Escobar.
Currently, the Archive has 2,490 linear meters of documentation, 18,201 document boxes, 4,593 administrative books, 78,973 photographs, as well as 5,690 posters and 2,424 programs and brochures. In addition, it has an auxiliary library specialized in local and archival history, a collection of rubber stamps and a small museum with elements used for the elaboration and reproduction of documents.
The activities carried out in 2020 have been marked by the pandemic. At this stage, an attempt was made to process user requests by telephone, email and social networks. In addition, work was done on the writing of articles for the archive’s blog and including digitized documents in it. Since May, the public has been attended in person, by appointment, and the telematic or telephone service continues.
In document management, the number of document transfers from offices was lower than the previous year, but with a greater number of document units. Thus, 1,520 new documentary boxes and 17 new administrative books were received, increasing the documentary collection by approximately 38,082 new documents. Regarding the donations, which enrich and complete the information on the history of La Orotava, 17 were received, mostly photographs.
In relation to services, The Archive offers both external nature to citizens for historical research, as internal in nature, to the municipal administration itself for its daily operation. During 2020, 883 requests for information were processed, corresponding to the months of July and October the highest number of inquiries, which were made through the electronic means-Archive module (59%), telephone (21%), face-to-face ( 17%) and via social networks (3%). These requests led to the consultation of more than 18,000 documents.
