Utilization of Digital Humanities in Managing Archives and Records in the Public and Private Sectors in Zambia

This study investigated the use of digital humanities in managing records and archives within Lusaka's public sector, focusing on identifying the challenges hindering its adoption. The main objective of this study was to examine how digital humanities are used to manage records and archives in public and private sector organizations in Lusaka, Zambia. Specifically, the study focused on To analyze current practices for managing archives and records within the Zambian public sector; evaluation on how digital humanities are utilized in managing archives and records; the potential benefits of implementing digital humanities for archives and records management and to identify the challenges that hinder the adoption of digital humanities in the public and private sectors. A mixed research design was employed, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative methods. The study's population included records and archives staff in Zambia’s public and private sectors. Stratified and simple random sampling techniques were used to select 125 respondents from a population of 689. Data were collected through an online questionnaire, with quantitative data analyzed using SPSS version 23.0 and qualitative data analyzed thematically. The study revealed that most respondents, predominantly female, were inadequately qualified to use digital humanities tools. Many relied on paper-based systems for managing records and archives, citing insufficient technical expertise and inadequate funding as significant barriers to adopting digital humanities. The study recommends that both public and private sectors develop policies promoting training and orientation on digital humanities utilization in archives and records management.