This project is entitled "Multi-Lingual Digital Library for West African Sources". It seeks to build a multi-media digital library of West African sources in multiple languages. Collaborating organizations include several at Michigan State, the Institut Fondemental d'Afrique Noire (IFAN) and West African Research Center (WARC) in Dakar, Senegal. Four types of material will be archived including historical manuscripts from the 19th and early 20th centuries (primarily in Arabic and French), oral sources (primarily in Wolof, Pulaar, and French), photographs and African language print materials. The project will give careful attention to identifying and providing metadata that describe the provenance and content of the digital materials. A multiple-languages interface will allow users to gain access to content through the use of standardized subject headings in the original languages. Caching proxy server technology will be used a local site servers in Senegal to address low-speed international network connections common in African countries. It is hoped that this project will serve as a model for larger-scale efforts by African and US researchers to create new repositories for the broader research and education communities.
