It was well worth crossing into “enemy territory” (UCLA and USC are crosstown rivals) to be a part of this event. It’s the first time we’ve been able to exhibited at the Archives Bazaar — space always fills up quickly for this popular event.

Yes, you read that right — I used the words “archive” and “popular” in the same sentence. USC was a new location for the Bazaar, as the previous space — The Huntington Library — proved too small for both the exhibitors and the crowds of attendees. All expectations were for a much larger crowd to see this year’s 65 organizations and a variety of presenters of local lore, some well known.

The place was hopping from before 10 am (the official start time of the Bazaar) until at least 4:30 PM.

Our main reasons for participating were to connect with other members of the local archival community and to raise awareness about the Ethnomusicology Archive and the unique kinds of collections we offer. We definitely drew a lot of attention with our videos — selected from our collection of local materials and projected on the wall behind us (hey, we’re a media archive, it’s what we do).

From the UNESCO website:

Audiovisual documents, such as films, radio and television programmes, audio and video recordings, contain the primary records of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Transcending language and cultural boundaries, appealing immediately to the eye and the ear, to the literate and illiterate, audiovisual documents have transformed society by becoming a permanent complement to the traditional written record.

However, they are extremely vulnerable and it is estimated that we have no more than 10 to 15 years to transfer audiovisual records to digital to prevent their loss. Much of the world’s audiovisual heritage has already been irrevocably lost through neglect, destruction, decay and the lack of resources, skills, and structures, thus impoverishing the memory of mankind. Much more will be lost if stronger and concerted international action is not taken.

It was in this context, that the General Conference in 2005 approved the commemoration of a World Day for Audiovisual Heritage as a mechanism to raise general awareness of the need for urgent measures to be taken and to acknowledge the importance of audiovisual documents as an integral part of national identity.