Dear Editor,

There is a quote by archivist Lisbet Tellefsen that calls upon us to “archive as if the future depends on it”.

As members of the public, we may not be official archivists entrusted with the responsibility of preserving our documentary heritage, we nonetheless have a role to play as stewards of our culture, identity, and history.

Having spent the past three months conducting research at the Jamaica Archives Unit in Spanish Town, I have witnessed first-hand the pressures created by its current staffing constraints. When an institution charged with preserving and providing access to our national history is understaffed, it not only compromises the services available to the public but may also place additional strain on the broader work of archival preservation. The Jamaica Archives is one of the island’s most important institutions for hosting, preserving, and safeguarding its written history. Archives provide not only access to historical records, but also the foundations upon which histories are researched, interpreted, and ultimately remembered.

At the Jamaica Archives, the Clinton Black Reading Room, which is open to the public and provides reference and research services, currently has two assistant archivists. Local and international researchers, as well as members of the public, are required to schedule appointments to access the archives. This appointment system was initially introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently discontinued, but was later reinstated as staffing challenges persisted.

Under normal circumstances, the reading room would have six members of staff, including a secretary. At present, however, only two assistant archivists are assigned to the reading room, and with one currently on leave, the capacity has been reduced further. While the two assistants would ordinarily be able to accommodate up to four researchers per day, only one researcher is currently being accommodated daily. There is also no secretary presently assigned to the reading room, meaning that administrative responsibilities are being undertaken by the same assistants responsible for serving researchers and members of the public.

Importantly, the responsibilities of these assistants extend well beyond assisting researchers with enquiries and retrieving records. Their work also includes preparing inventories, organising collections, and undertaking classification and other archival management tasks.

This is particularly significant in the context of the archives’ ongoing digitisation efforts. Digitisation has already begun, with priority being given to some of the earliest and most frequently requested records. The Indian Immigrant Collection, for example, is among the collections that have entered the digitisation process. Yet digitisation itself is a complex and resource-intensive undertaking that requires adequate personnel, time, technical expertise, and sustained institutional support. Persistent understaffing, therefore, risks placing additional pressure on an already demanding process.

The Jamaica Archives is a principal repository of the history and documentary heritage of the Jamaican people. I recognise that public institutions must continually contend with competing demands for limited resources. Nevertheless, I believe that addressing preventable institutional constraints, such as understaffing, should be treated as a priority before they develop into more complex challenges requiring reactive interventions.

There is still an opportunity to be proactive. If, as Tellefsen reminds us, we are to “archive as if the future depends on it”, then we must recognise that the preservation of Jamaica’s history depends not only on the existence of archival collections, but also on the people, resources, and institutional capacity required to preserve and make those collections accessible.

The archives still matter, preserving our history requires preserving the institutions entrusted with it.

Dr Sam Nelson

nelsonsdir@gmail.com