SALALM Chronicles (I)

SALALM is the Seminar on Acquisition of Latin American Library Materials, that is an association of mainly University Librarians that deal with latin american collections.
SALALM Website

Despite this focus on Library materials SALALM groups together institutions with rich archives collections and under the leadership of active members like Marisol Ramos, from the University of Connecticut, has been moving steadily towards a greater emphasis on archives.
Marisol Ramos' blog

SALALM organized an excellent conference on archives last week at Philadelphia, under the title "Preserving Memory: Documenting and Archiving Latin American Human Rights"
SALALM LVI Website

Peter Kornbluh, the famed analyst from the National Security Archive and author of "The Pinochet File" , delivered an impressive keynote address on "Forensic Archivists and Active Archives: Advancing the Cause of Human Rights in Latin America through Archival Investigation", a harrowing visit to the dismal backyard of US politics in Latin America, from Guatemala's Truth Commission to the Terror Archives in Paraguay, passing through the dreaded argentinian Battallion 601 and their fumbled Operation Mexico. An awful truth that has only been revealed through the declassification of confidential US records in application of Freedom of Information legislation and the dogged persistence of institutions such as National Security Archive.
National Security Archive website

For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of hearing Peter, I've found in YouTube a complete video of the presentation he gave on a similar topic at the University of Oregon on August 2010. Really worth it!
Peter Kornbluh "Information is Power: Access to Archives and Human Rights in Latin America"

Quoting Peter: "Sunlight is the best disinfectant". Never more true...