Abstract/Résumé/Resumen
This article presents the initial proposal for reorganizing the photographic collection of the Center for Documentation and Historical Memory of Itajaí (CDMH), highlighting the challenges faced and the strategies devised to enhance access, preservation, and the social use of photographs. Comprising over 30,000 images — most of which were received through donations — the collection lacks thematic organization, adequate digital infrastructure, and consistent descriptive information, which compromises its accessibility and potential as a source of research and collective memory. The proposal includes the creation of a classification plan based on major themes, the continuation of digitization in accordance with Conarq guidelines, and the adoption of open-source software for storage and dissemination. Additionally, the project Café & Retratos aims to foster community participation in the description of images, recognizing the value of popular knowledge in building local memory. By integrating traditional archival techniques with collaborative practices, the initiative reaffirms the social role of the archive as a living space for meaning-making, identity reconstruction, and the democratic exercise of memory.
