Panaji: The advent of the digital age rendered audio cassettes, gramophone records, film reels and spools, video cassettes and microfilms obsolete. Today, however, these formats are being recognised as valuable archival treasures that preserve fragments of Goa’s cultural, historical and social heritage.The Goa State Audiovisual Archives has launched a survey to identify privately held and institutional archival collections with cultural, historical, or heritage value linked to Goa. It has invited individuals and organisations to share details of their holdings.“The initiative aims to build an inventory of audiovisual and other archival resources that could help preserve and document the state’s heritage,” Gayatri Ghatwal, scientific officer and head of the Goa State Audiovisual Archives, told TOI. “The survey is open to individuals, non-governmental organisations and other interested parties, while selected institutions are also being approached directly through letters accompanied by survey forms.”She clarified that the exercise is currently limited to assessing the nature and extent of existing collections and is not a formal invitation to surrender or donate archival material.“We are looking to document a wide range of formats, including audio cassettes, gramophone records, film reels and spools, video cassettes and microfilms. Any material that has a connection to Goa’s culture, history or heritage falls within the scope of the exercise,” she said.The survey form is available online through a QR code linked to a Google Form. The archives is also sending it directly to identified institutions believed to hold relevant collections to compile information in a standardised format.“The survey is intended to help the archives department understand what material exists, who holds it and how it could potentially be accessed or preserved. The information gathered could serve as an important first step towards identifying Goa-related archival resources and exploring ways to safeguard them for future generations,” she said.
