Digital Memory Archiving: The Oral Narratives by the Residents of Karantina

Abstract

This essay reflects on the project “Oral Narratives by the Residents of Karantina”, a digital platform mapping georeferenced stories narrated by the residents of Karantina.The project was conducted by the Beirut Urban Lab under the umbrella of the Imagining Futures following the Beirut port blast of 2020. The oral narratives platform proposes an alternative digital archiving model as a more egalitarian and accessible one. The essay therefore re-questions some fundamental notions regarding the role of the archivist, the location of the archive, and its accessibility especially given the digital realm. Furthermore, it reframes the role of the archivist as a facilitator, rendering the archival practice and power to the narrator.