​Image by jhmt.org.za

The James Hall Museum of Transport has converted 50 Video Home System Tapes into digital format.​

These video cassettes contain materials which educate people about the history of land transport in South Africa.

For the first time, school groups and the general public will have an opportunity to view these materials during the orientation sessions and introductory walkabouts of the museum exhibition tour.

“Museums across the world are integrating digital migration in efforts to preserve collections of cultural heritage. This is a consequence of the rapid growth in technological innovations, which have changed how we store and retrieve information – moving us from analog to digital format,” said MMC for Community Development, Nonhlanhla Sifumba.

The recent development is motivated by the fact of traditional storage formats making it difficult for members of the public to access important files, information and documents in museums.

The use of floppy disks, Video Home System Tapes, compact audio-cassettes, and LP records is becoming obsolete during this digital age.

The move from analogue to digital is informed by National Digitisation Policy - as well as the City’s priorities to improve its ability to preserve its resources for future generations, as well as to ensure that Johannesburg is a smart City capable of supporting innovation and meeting the demands of the digital age.

These digitized collections will be stored and preserved in a central repository for cultural heritage in the Department of Community Development’s Museum Africa. It will be available to members of the public upon request and for research purposes.

 ​