The University of the South Pacific (USP) established in 1969, is the only regional university of its type in the world. It serves twelve independent island nations of the South Pacific (Cook Is., Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Is., Nauru, Niue, Solomon Is., Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Samoa) with 14 regional campuses around the Pacific, the main campus being located in Suva, Fiji. The USP member island nations are geographically dispersed, culturally, linguistically and economically diverse, spanning across 33 million square kilometres and four time zones. Since 1970, the University Media Centre (now called Multimedia Team) produced and collected various forms of media (audio visuals) mainly in analogue format, which captured important University events and functions, including many cultural events of the South Pacific region, to which now is of important historical and sentimental value, not only to the University but the people pf the South Pacific region. Since 2010, the Multimedia Team has embarked on a digitization project to digitize all the analogue media content in its archives and make it available as digital open resources.
This presentation will focus on the digitization journey so far, since its inception. It will briefly discuss the project, the analogues archives, the success, the challenges and obstacles, and the way forward for the project. It will also highlight how collaboration between national, regional and international organizations are assisting the gradual implementation of the project.