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There will be a time when COVID-19 will just be part of our past, and all we will have left of it is the pictures we’ve taken, or mementos of the experiences we’ve been through. But there is another way to create a time capsule that will help not just you, but your posterity, to remember the significance of this time. Newspoint spoke to , who is a lecturer at the Faculty of Media & Knowledge Sciences, but who is more known for being Malta’s National Archivist, about the National Archives of Malta’s latest initiative, the Memorja Project.  

Q. How have you adapted to online teaching at UM during COVID-19 yourself? How has your own experience been?

A. Yes I have adapted and feel quite comfortable with the system.  It avoided certain uncomfortable situations like reaching UM for lectures on Monday morning at 8 am.  There are also benefits of the system.  In most sessions I am inviting word experts in certain archival fields to make short interventions, or for students to ask them about readings from their own works.  The opportunities are unlimited.

Q. In a world where information is not just processed within the wall of a library, but the preservation of that information is more important than ever, what would you say is the top most motivation or goal that keeps your work interesting? 

A. A national archives environment is amazing in that you preserve records that have to do with any topic imaginable.  So whatever the topic hitting the headlines, you know you have material related to that.  This provides the immediate connection with people.  Moreover, on a philosophical level, there is also the connection with future generations that is in itself exciting. 

Q. Why do national archivists value diaries? 

A. Both historians and national archivists value primary sources, as the scope of archives, contrary to that of libraries, is to preserve primary sources. 

National Archivists have a main duty vested on them by virtue of legislation to preserve the official record of government.  Thus, an event such as the COVID-19 pandemic will be preserved for future generations through the official records created by the Health Authorities, Police and all sectors of public administration.  However, such records will not capture the other dimensions of the feelings of people.  Diaries are excellent sources to capture that side of the story. 

Q. How did the Memorja project come to be? And why do you deem it important to include COVID-19 memories?

A. When the Maltese Parliament enacted the current National Archives Act (Cap. 477 of the Laws of Malta) it vested the National Archives with the mission of ‘preserving the collective memory of the Maltese nation.’  As the institution matured, we developed our philosophy that such a mission cannot be fulfilled through public records alone.  The experiences, emotions, feelings and daily lives of common people need also to fit into the picture.   We translated this into a national memory project which kick-started in 2004.  Gradually, the concept was further developed and during the last few years we worked into another philosophical transition – that from national memory to public memory. 

In line with the above thinking, when the COVID-19 pandemic started, we realised that the changes to the lives of people incurred through this pandemic will be unprecedented.  Thus, it was only natural to include such topic amongst the areas of research.

Q. What are those parts of history that don’t make it on the official records, that you’d like to capture through first-hand accounts?

A. The official records will give us the patients files, the deliberations of the health authorities, the scripts of the leaders.  It will not give us emotions, hardships, suffering, achievements and other private information.  We are hoping that the public captures all this in their diary submissions.

Q. Whose perspectives are you interested in: doctors, people working from home, students?

A. While previous topics always had specific cohorts of analysis – e.g. Public administration, fishermen, soldiers; this time every person has an experience to share.  Thus, we are not limiting in any way when it comes to diaries.  However, when the situation settles down, we will do focused interviews with the protagonists, the frontline workers and the decision makers.

Q. How and when can anyone submit their contribution to the National Archives? 

A. Submissions can be either in Maltese or in English, preferably typewritten.  We are not excluding any formats although we are aware that certain material and formats might pose challenges to preserve.

For more information, please visit the National Archives of Malta