80grados reports on the progress of the Vieques Historical Archive in digitizing and preserving important historical documents. Here is a translation of the original

The Vieques Historical Archive [El Archivo Histórico de Vieques (AHV)] a community-based, non-profit, volunteer organization, continues to digitize its important collections. The archive has a significant amount of documentation related to a wide variety of topics: archeology, architecture, literature, African slavery and the sugar industry of the 19th and 20th centuries, the sugar mills of the 20th century, the labor struggle of 1915, the presence of and activities of the United States Navy on the island and the historic and heroic fight against the military presence.

It was established in 1990 as a research center with the mission of preserving documents, audiovisual materials, and artifacts related to the history, development, culture, and social struggles of Vieques through the use of sustainable techniques that enable community participation.

In recent years, thanks to the support of the Puerto Rican Foundation for the Humanities [Fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades], nearly thirty thousand documents from the Vieques archive were digitized, including local newspapers, nineteenth-century and early-century municipal documents, and photographs, among other materials.

In a next phase of this process, several thousand AHV documents were placed on the Digital Library of the Caribbean (DLOC) platform at the University of Florida. This important step allows accessibility to the general public to this wealth of information on a wide range of Vieques topics. The connection between AHV and DLOC stems from the solidarity efforts of Professor Nadjah Ríos (UPRRP), Director of the Digital Project: The Diaspora Project.

Among the materials recently placed in the DLOC cyberspace, we can mention: “¡Vieques, sí! ¡Marina no!” and the photographic collection, “Catanzaro: Vieques, 1942,” among others. The AHV documents are available online at www.dloc.com/vieques and through the community archive’s social networks, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

The Vieques Historical Archive is located on the first floor of Conde de Mirasol Fort in Vieques [aka Isla Nena] thanks to a collaboration with the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, custodian of the Fort and administrator of the Conde de Mirasol Fort Museum [Museo Fuerte Conde de Mirasol].

For more information about the Vieques Historical Archive, you may contact by phone: 787-375-0525 or email, archivoshistoricodevieques@gmail.com. You may request a lecture on Vieques issues for schools, cultural centers, universities, or community groups. The archive also coordinates visits by academic and cultural groups to learn about the history of Vieques, its struggles, possibilities for academic research, and current affairs. At this time, arrangements are being made to offer this opportunity of educational interaction with our contents virtually.

Article translated by Ivette Romero. For the original article (in Spanish), see https://www.80grados.net/archivo-historico-de-vieques-continua-digitalizando-sus-colecciones/