Papaye n° 3
CRDS
Museum of Saint- Louis : A jewel in crisis
In
the beginning, it was called Michel Adanson Museum, name of a famous naturalist
who stayed in Saint-Louis. Independent in 1962, it took the name of
CRDS and is dependent to the Ministry of National Education. The
Documentation and Research Center of Senegal is a public organism. Following an
administrative decision giving birth, in every territory of FWA, reliable local
centers of the Black African French Institute. It has been existing since 1943.
by Larou
Provide
the public the patterns necessary to know Saint- Louis and its region. Help the
socio-cultural development of the society and communities, whatever important
they could be : this is the challenge to be taken up. This is also the mission
that the decree 62 02 47/ MEU of the 26th of June 1962 attributed to
the museum which is part of CRDS.
Thus,
this cultural jewel that the CRDS museum of Saint Louis is, has 24 420objects.
840 items on archeology, 1200 (bundle)in archives, 615 maps, 630 in ethnography,
1238 in natural history, 19845pictures and 58 items in contemporary art. The
museum is exhibiting 880 items and the 23545 remaining objects are stored. The
museum’s collections used to be enriched from the results of the research of
Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar, and from the collecting of donated or lent
documents. The acquisitions of Saint Louis CRDS museum are “estimated” by
the technical and scientific commission. Owing to budget constraints, the
purchase of objects is not considered for the moment. It is another way of
saying that the museum is facing financial difficulties. The museum is only
granted a an annual contribution of 600.000 FCFA, which is far from being
sufficient. Deprived of a equipment budget, the museum is strictly limited in
its capacities to enrich or to renew its collections and acquisitions. The lack
of lab equipment, computerizing problem, the deficit in qualified technical
staff are some of the factors which are hampering the museum’s rapid
development.