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Preserving and Digitizing Djenné’s Manuscript Collections: The Politics of Space and Agency in Central Mali

Abstract This article explores archival practices and ownership of the largely Arabic manuscript collections at the Djenné Manuscript Library. From 2009 to 2017 grants from the British Library’s Endangered Archives Programme enabled the preservation of 8,520 manuscripts and digitization of about 400,000 folios. In a politically volatile environment like Mali, the future of historical research is mostly contingent on the availability of digital archives. While these archives enable research that otherwise could not be conducted, they also limit the research experience in situ and thus affect findings. For the manuscript owners, questions arise about digital imperialism.