FIAT/IFTA World Conference 2024

This article explores an innovative approach to the long-term preservation of documents housed in the Folklore Archive of the Romanian Academy, examining the concept through three distinct metaphors: the zoo, the seed-bank, and guerrilla gardening. It proposes that each metaphor offers a unique perspective on preservation strategies.

The "zoo" metaphor emphasizes the idea of reintroducing previously captured research materials back into the wild, allowing for a more dynamic interaction with the public. The "seed-bank" metaphor positions the archive as a living database, serving future generations by preserving the genetic material of cultural heritage. Lastly, the "guerrilla gardening" metaphor suggests the use of "seed bombing" tactics to combat the erosion of intangible cultural heritage, proposing a proactive and dispersed approach to preservation trough small memory boxes. This boxes should be highly customized gifts for the communities from where the recordings were captured.

The analysis critically reflects on these metaphors, which were introduced a decade ago, to assess their viability and impact on contemporary preservation practices. The discussion will be enhanced by the presentation of an updated working model of a small memory box, a wooden encased device that plays old Transylvanian audio recordings.