Research Tools: Archive of the Indigenous Languages of Latin America (AILLA) Launches Revitalized Platform

From University of Texas Libraries:

The Archive of the Indigenous Languages of Latin America (AILLA) has launched its redesigned repository and website marking a significant milestone in its mission to preserve and promote indigenous languages and cultures. AILLA has long served as a vital resource for both speakers and researchers, providing a platform for the documentation and dissemination of linguistic and cultural heritage. With this technical overhaul, AILLA has enhanced its interface, accessibility and overall user experience, providing a significantly improved platform for linguistic diversity and scholarly collaboration.

Since its foundation in 2000, AILLA has been dedicated to the preservation and study of endangered and dormant (i.e. documented, but no longer spoken) indigenous languages across Latin America, while working with indigenous communities to maintain records of their languages. Through its extensive collection of audio, video and text materials, the archive supports language revitalization and maintenance efforts and facilitates scholarly research in linguistics, anthropology, and beyond. By bridging the gap between academia and indigenous communities, AILLA empowers speakers to reclaim and celebrate their linguistic heritage while fostering cross-cultural understanding and collaboration.

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…the revamped website now boasts a sleek interface built on Next.js, offering seamless navigation and improved search functionality. The site features multilingual metadata in English, Spanish and Portuguese, along with a robust search engine, allowing users to easily discover and access relevant content. Moreover, modern audiovisual viewers and interactive graphical user interfaces enhance the overall user experience, while custom permissions and sharing functionalities streamline depositors’ management of collections.

“A significant outcome of this rebuild is the addition of a Portuguese user interface,” explains AILLA archivist and coordinator Susan Kung. “AILLA has had both English and Spanish interfaces since its initial launch in 2001, but until now the lack of a Portuguese interface has made it inaccessible to an entire country in its target demographic.”

Learn More, Read the Complete Announcement and View Video

Direct to The Archive of the Indigenous Languages of Latin America (AILLA

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