During the global COVID-19 pandemic, the use of online resources and demand for digital access to information increased greatly: online access was not just expected, but became a basic necessity and a direct life-line for many people. Luckily, with Aruba being a small-scale society like, the library was able to meet this increased demand by rapidly operationalizing the “short lines” and local book authors and publishers, by making available crucial resources, such as Papiamento language literary works and essential resources like daily newspapers —free of cost, to not only Aruban students, but also to the general public.
The momentum set into action in 2020 still has not whatsapp number database down; rather, it seems to be increasing. More and more local authors choose to forego all the increasing costs typically associated with print publishing, instead choosing to publish directly to the online Aruba Collection and the Internet Archive. Aruba’s efforts to digitize and preserve its culture and documentary heritage have piqued the interest of more international audiences as well, with other (Dutch) Caribbean island nations and territories showing interest in replicating the model implemented in Aruba, and with media outlets like Wired, The Verge, and PBS News Weekend, as well as regional news outlets like Antilliaans Dagblad and Caribisch Netwerk, also dedicating attention to the “Aruba story.” For example, Wired author Kate Knibbs even mentioned during a recent Slate podcast that she suspected Aruba’s digital preservation efforts being part of “a really effective guerilla tourism campaign […] aimed at dorks.“
All things considered, future prospects look encouraging: Aruba’s institutions and the Internet Archive are in it for the long haul, and even intend to expand their efforts beyond the white shores of sunny Aruba.