An Cosantóir

IMAGE 30 | military archives IDeNtIFICatIoN BY CAPT PADRAIC KENNEDY (MILITARY ARCHIVES) www.flickr.com/people/militaryarchives/ the ongoing development of information communication technol- ogy, in tandem with internet usage and Irish people's willingness to engage online using social media, public and private sector or- ganisations must attempt to utilise the opportunities presented by technology. To this end the Defence Forces Military Archives have just launched an image identification project using Flickr, the on- line photo sharing tool (www.flickr.com/people/militaryarchives/). Military Archives has a mandate under the National Archives Act PROJECT T he mission of the Military Archives is to acquire, preserve and make available to the public, the documentary heritage of the Defence Forces and the Department of Defence. With mation communication technology to improve the delivery of services, the Defence Forces continually looks to improve and adapt to take advantage of the benefits of technology and the provision of how we serve the public. In line with government policy on public sector reform and the need to constantly review how we can improve our service delivery, the Military Archives has developed its image identification project. This project was developed in order to promote access to our photographic collec- tions and also to provide a level of social engagement with our collections that facilitates online access. In late April the Military Archives uploaded the first phase of the of 1986 to record the activities of the Defence Forces, the Depart- ment of Defence and the Army Pensions Board, thus promoting accountability and trust in the organisation with the public. At a time when value for money is a critical component of any decision, online tools offer prospects of not only saving money but also to greatly enhance an organisation's ability to meet its objectives. A second mandate for Military Archives is to promote and make available the history of organisations under its remit and their effect on society. In this regard the Defence Forces retains the interest not only of academics and researchers but also the gen- eral public. With the launch of an online photo sharing initiative on Flickr, the Defence Forces aims to reinforce this link with the general public and society by inviting the public to be a part of the development of the cultural heritage of the archive. As an industry leader in the public sector in utilising infor- project's photos online to their Flickr account as part of their image identification project, which averaged over 2,000 online views per day during the initial trial period that included nearly 200 photos An Cosantóir July/August 2012 www.dfmagazine.ie from the Defence Forces serving in Congo and Cyprus and also from the Cavalry Corps. The photos, which have been collected over a number of years, were, unfortunately, like a lot of old family photos, not fully de- scribed. While the photos are an invaluable source of information, they lack the necessary information to provide a context or link with our other collections, in order to provide an accurate reflec- tion of the history of the Defence Forces. The accurate naming of individuals in old photographs provides both a valuable cultural and personal aspect, in addition to providing the Military Archives an opportunity to integrate the photographs into our collections, thereby enriching and enhancing our records. The initial results from the project are very positive and the strong willingness displayed by our contributors to engage online enhances our ability to make our collections available to as wide an audience as possible. In recognition of the fact that families and individuals are often the experts when it comes to the identifica- tion of photographic records in particular, Military Archives wants your help. Members of the public, and current and ex-members of the Defence Forces are encouraged to participate in documenting the heritage of the Defence Forces. Through this project, the Military Archives aims to provide a more inclusive and representative reflection of the Defence Forces and your help is needed make this project a success. As part of this project, the Military Archives will continue to make available previ- ously unseen photographs, displaying personnel and equipment both at home and overseas. If you are interested in participating in this project, you will need to set up a Flickr account and start mak- ing contributions in order to become a part of documenting the history of the Defence Forces. For more information on this project, email archives@military.ie

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