ICANH Repositorio Digital Institucional (Biblioteca Especializada Alicia Dussán de Reichel)

Overview

The ICANH Digital Repository (Repositorio Digital Institucional) is the open-access digital library of the Instituto Colombiano de Antropología e Historia (ICANH), Colombia's national institute for anthropology and history. Operated by the institute's Biblioteca Especializada Alicia Dussán de Reichel, the repository provides free public access to digital resources including archaeological reports, research publications in anthropology, archaeology, and colonial history, and related academic materials.

History and Background

ICANH itself was formed in 1999 through the merger of the Instituto Colombiano de Antropología (ICAN, est. 1952) and the Instituto Colombiano de Cultura Hispánica. The ICAN had earlier evolved from the Servicio de Arqueología Nacional (est. 1938) and the Instituto Etnológico Nacional (est. 1941, founded by French anthropologist Paul Rivet at the invitation of President Eduardo Santos). The Biblioteca Especializada Alicia Dussán de Reichel and its digital repository were formally launched as the Repositorio Digital Institucional to promote open access to the institute's scientific and research output, including archaeological reports submitted to ICANH as required by Colombian heritage law, and publications from its flagship journal, the Revista Colombiana de Antropología (published since 1953).

Collections and Holdings

The repository includes final archaeological investigation reports (informes arqueológicos), research results in anthropology, archaeology, and colonial history, institutional publications, and digital access to the ethnographic collection catalog. ICANH's Biblioteca Especializada holds bibliographic materials covering anthropology, archaeology, colonial and republican history, and related social sciences. The repository is accessible at repositorio.icanh.gov.co, while ICANH's broader ethnographic collections are housed at the Museo Nacional de Colombia.

Access and Usage

The repository is freely accessible online in accordance with Colombian open access law (Ley 23 de 1982 and related international conventions). The physical library is open to the public Monday through Friday, 08:30–16:30, without appointment required, at Calle 12 N° 2–38 in La Candelaria, Bogotá. Contact is available by email or phone.