The Municipality of Quito is developing the inventory, updating and/or purification project in the Cultural Heritage Information System of Ecuador (Sipce) of documentary heritage files. More than 1,000 volumes of the city’s history are being digitized thanks to the support of the Metropolitan Institute of Heritage (IMP).

The historical documentation currently being processed corresponds to the oldest parts of the archive, which date back many years 1603 and later.

The work began with reviewing the information on the inventory sheets, exploring the volume in question, and gathering information. The photographic examination is then carried out (6 photos: front and back cover, spine and details of the contents or deterioration), to then be entered into the system and generate a report of the information captured.

The second phase is currently being implemented, which includes the digitization of the previously inventoried volumes. To facilitate the search for information, a matrix will be developed for searching and identifying the information they contain. The project ends with the approval of the associated report.

The municipality indicates that this process makes preservation for the future possible and that new generations have access to this knowledge. It also facilitates researchBecause people are in knowledge and technological networks, they will be able to virtually access this documentation in other spaces, allowing the dissemination of this knowledge. (JO)