Memory of the World Programme
Memory of the World Programme
2.1 BACKGROUND
2.1.1 Impetus for the Memory of the World Programme
came originally from a growing awareness of the parlous state
of preservation of and access to documentary heritage in various
parts of the world. War and social upheaval, as well as a severe
lack of resources with which to carry out preservation and dissemination
activities, have contributed to problems which have existed for
centuries. Significant collections worldwide have suffered a variety
of fates. Looting and dispersal, illegal trading, destruction,
inadequate housing and preservation, and financial stringency
have all played their part in endangering documentary heritage.
Much documentary heritage has vanished forever: the existence
of other documentary heritage, previously believed to have been
destroyed, has recently come to light.
2.1.2 An International Advisory Committee was established
in 1993. Throughout 1993, preliminary guidelines were drawn up
and during 1994 and 1995 seven pilot projects commenced which
employ modern technology to reproduce the text, images and sound
of original documentary heritage material on other media. These
projects have greatly enhanced access to this documentary heritage
and have contributed to its preservation. They are:
a demonstration CD-ROM of material from the National
Library in Prague, produced by the Library in association with
Albertina Ltd;
an interactive CD featuring a multimedia edition
of Bulgarian manuscripts evoking the figure of Saint Sophia, patron
saint of Bulgaria's capital, Sofia;
a prototype CD-ROM of a thirteenth-century manuscript,
the Radziwill Chronicle, tracing the origins of the peoples of
Europe;
a demonstration disk of key Koranic fragments discovered
in the roof of the Great Mosque of Sana'a, Yemen;
Memoria de Iberoamérica, a joint newspaper
microfilming project involving seven Latin American countries;
Kandilli Manuscripts, preservation, cataloguing and
production of CD-ROM of early astronomical data from the Kandilli
Observatory; and
Memory of Russia, preserving and improving access
to the collection of 15th and 16th century Slavic manuscripts
held by the Russian State Library in Moscow. A CD-ROM of selected
manuscripts will be prepared.
Each project received funding from UNESCO, ranging
from US$ 20,000 to US$ 50,000. Some of these projects were demonstrated
at the first meeting of the International Advisory Committee in
Pultusk, Poland in September 1993.
2.1.3 At the Pultusk meeting, the International Memory
of the World Advisory Committee prepared an Action Plan which
set the Programme agenda for 1994-95. The key elements of the
plan are:
that UNESCO assume the role of co-ordinator and catalyst
to sensitize governments, international organizations and public
and private foundations to the Programme and foster the development
of partnerships for the implementation of projects;
that two sub-committees be established: one for the
periodical assessment of technologies relevant to the Programme;
the other for examining marketing and markets for the products
of the Programme worldwide;
that the following be compiled:
- a list of library collections and archive holdings
that have suffered irreparable damage in the 20th century;
- a list of endangered library collections and archive
holdings; and
- a list of current activities aimed at the safeguarding
of documentary heritage;
that guidelines determining the technical, legal
and financial framework and the organizational operation of the
Programme be prepared.
These recommendations set the Programme agenda during
1994-95.
2.1.4 UNESCO contracted the International Federation
of Library Associations (IFLA) to prepare the general guidelines
for the overall conduct of the Programme. A draft document was
prepared in close association with the International Council on
Archives (ICA). Assistance was also provided by the International
Federation of Television Archives (FIAT/IFTA), the International
Federation of Film Archives (FIAF), the International Association
of Music Librarians (IAML), and the International Association
of Sound Archives (IASA).
2.1.5 The second meeting of the International Advisory
Committee was held in Paris in May 1995 and discussed the draft
guidelines. Representatives from all relevant Non-Governmental
Organizations (NGOs) and several funding organizations were also
present at the meeting as observers.
2.1.6 The draft guidelines were approved with minor
changes at the Paris meeting. This document 'General Guidelines
to Safeguard Documentary Heritage' is the product of that
process.
2.1.7 UNESCO contracted IFLA and ICA each to prepare,
for library and archive collections respectively, a list of library
collections and archive fonds that have suffered irreparable damage
in the 20th Century and a list of current activities aimed at
the safeguarding of documentary heritage. UNESCO, through its
National Commissions, was to prepare a list of endangered library
collections and archive holdings and a world list of national
cinematic heritage. These lists are being compiled during 1995.
2.1.8 In addition to work on the guidelines and the
lists, several meetings were held in various parts of the world
to discuss the Programme. These included a meeting of representatives
of Central and Eastern European countries held in conjunction
with the meeting of the International Advisory Committee in Pultusk
in September 1993 and a meeting in Kuala Lumpur in December 1994
which explored the possibility of establishing a Regional Memory
of the World Committee for South and South-East Asia and the Pacific.
2.2 OBJECTIVES
2.2.1 The Programme has four complementary objectives
of equal importance.
(a) Objective 1 - Preservation: To ensure
the preservation by the most appropriate means of documentary
heritage which has world significance and to encourage the preservation
of documentary heritage which has national and regional significance.
(b) Objective 2 - Access: To make this heritage
accessible to a wide variety of audiences, both inside and outside
the nations in which it is physically located, and to encourage
equity of access.
(c) Objective 3 - Distribution of derived products:
To develop products based on this documentary heritage and make
them available for wide distribution.
(d) Objective 4 - Awareness: To raise the
awareness of all countries of the world of their documentary heritage,
especially aspects of that heritage which are significant in world
terms.
2.3 SOME ASSUMPTIONS BEHIND THE OBJECTIVES
2.3.1 The Memory of the World Programme is proceeding
on the assumption that some items, collections, holdings or fonds
of documentary heritage are a part of the inheritance of the world,
in the same way as are the sites of outstanding universal value
listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Thus they are deemed
to be of such significance as to transcend the boundaries of time
and culture. Such items, collections, holdings or fonds of world
significance therefore should be preserved for present and future
generations and made accessible to all the peoples of the world
in some form.
2.3.2 Preservation of documentary heritage and increased
access to it complement one another. For example, digitized or
microfilmed records can be accessed by many people and demand
for access can stimulate the custodians of documentary heritage
to undertake preservation projects.
2.3.3 The Programme seeks to encourage access without
discrimination whenever possible. In some cases, preservation
activities may increase access to material which has special significance
for particular communities. Attempts will be made to consult relevant
communities. Their wishes and cultural sensitivities will be taken
into account in determining access provisions.
2.3.4 Lack of attention to the needs of documentary
heritage is often based on ignorance of its importance. Accordingly,
considerable emphasis has been placed on developing and actively
conducting awareness raising campaigns.
2.4 THE MEANING OF DOCUMENTARY HERITAGE
2.4.1 The following definitions cover the types of
materials comprising documentary heritage and the places where
it may be found.
2.4.2 Documentary heritage can be a single document,
a collection, a holding or an archival fonds.
2.4.3 For the purposes of the Memory of the World
Programme, a document has two components: the information it contains
and the medium which supports it. Documents may contain different
forms of information and may be supported on different storage
media. For example:
textual materials such as manuscripts, books, newspapers,
posters etc. The text may be ink, pencil, paint etc. The support
may be paper plastic, papyrus, parchment, palm leaves, bark, textile
(silk), stone or other media.
non-textual materials such as drawings, prints, maps,
music etc. The images may be ink, pencil, paints etc. The supports
are similar to those for textual materials.
traditional moving and still photographic images.
Images are created by a variety of chemical processes and are
'eye readable' although devices such as projectors are often required.
Supports are usually paper or plastic but may be metal or glass.
electronic data of all types, including audio, video,
text and still images in analogue or digital form. The data is
created in a variety of ways and must be 'read' by a device before
being comprehensible to humans. The supports are usually some
form of plastic, metals or glass.
2.4.4 A collection is a set of documents selected
individually. A holding is a collection or set of collections
held by an institution or individual, or a fonds or record group,
or a set of them held by an archive. Institutions with holdings
include libraries, archives, organizations such as educational,
religious and historical bodies, museums, government agencies
and cultural centres. Access to such documentary heritage will
vary from country to country and from one institution to another
according to legislation and institutional policies.
2.4.5 Documentary heritage may also be in the possession
of individuals and private organizations. Access to this documentary
heritage varies greatly from no access at all to full access.
While the contents of some private documentary heritage are unknown,
there are many owners who are prepared to make public their ownership
of documentary heritage, which can therefore be assessed to determine
its significance.
2.4.6 The Memory of the World Programme makes no
distinction between public and private documentary heritage. Even
though access may be restricted, private documentary heritage
is still to be regarded as a potential part of the Memory of the
World Programme. The Memory of the World Programme provides a
mechanism for recording the existence of these privately-held
collections. Changes of circumstance often mean that private documentary
heritage enters the public domain. It is in the interest of the
heritage of the world that this documentary heritage be preserved,
whether it remains in private hands or is transferred to public
ownership.
2.4.7 The memory of the world is also kept alive
by oral tradition, which is passed on from one generation to the
next. The Memory of the World Programme will encourage the maintenance
and the documenting of this tradition through oral history projects,
thus ensuring cultural continuity through the use of technology.
This is imperative in many societies where traditional ways of
maintaining memory are being eroded.
2.5 STRATEGIES
2.5.1 Four key strategies will be implemented to
achieve the Programme's objectives.
2.5.2 Strategy 1 - Identification of Documentary
Heritage: The first strategy constitutes identifying documentary
heritage which is of world significance and listing it on a Memory
of the World Register. This documentary heritage might already
be adequately preserved, or it might require urgent attention.
The key issue is not whether it requires preservation but whether
it is of world significance. This strategy does not attempt to
pre-judge the size of the Register, but assumes that it will evolve,
in much the same way that the World Heritage List has evolved
over the years since its creation.
2.5.3 Strategy 2 - Raising Awareness of
the Need to Preserve Documentary Heritage: The second strategy
involves raising awareness throughout the world of the significance
of the world's documentary heritage and of the need to preserve
it. This is especially important in those nations and regions
where documentary heritage is endangered. Activities include awareness
raising campaigns, publicising the Programme, and supporting education
and training programmes. Some countries are not aware of the richness
of their documentary heritage. Their treasures may be saved by
a heightened awareness of their significance.
2.5.4 Strategy 3 - Preservation of Specific Documentary
Heritage: The third strategy involves implementing preservation
projects for specific documentary heritage that has already been
included in the Memory of the World Register. The Programme may
provide various forms of support for individual projects. Inclusion
on the Register does not imply any entitlement to Programme funding.
Programme funding for preservation projects will be determined
on the basis of need and of feasibility of the project, in relation
to the amount of money available, and to the Programme's objectives.
Preservation projects may be funded from sources other than UNESCO.
Indeed, such projects are encouraged.
2.5.5 Strategy 4 - Access - Marketing and
Distribution of Documentary Heritage: Selected documentary
heritage from the Memory of the World Register will be packaged
in various forms for commercial and non-commercial marketing and
distribution. This will be achieved in cooperation with the owners
and custodians of the documentary heritage. The purpose of this
strategy is both to provide wide access to the world's documentary
heritage and to generate funds which may be used for Programme
activities, including preservation projects, as described by the
third strategy.
2.5.6 Programmes which complement the international
Memory of the World Programme at national and regional levels
will be encouraged. Each National and Regional Memory of the World
Programme will itself implement the four key strategies, as adapted
to local needs. They will also provide an important part of the
infrastructure of the larger Programme. Indeed, the success of
the Programme will depend to a significant extent on the drive,
initiative and enthusiasm of the national and regional committees.
2.6 THE PEOPLES OF THE WORLD
2.6.1 The Memory of the World Programme is intended
to create awareness throughout the world of the documentary heritage
held by each nation. It is important that as many people as possible
understand the scope of the Programme, the material it includes
within the description of `documentary heritage', the meaning
assigned to registration and the fact that documentary heritage
is valued for a range of reasons, not just for its age or aesthetic
qualities.
2.6.2 Minority groups within nations must also be
encouraged to see their documentary heritage as a potential part
of the overall world heritage. It may also be that some minority
and ethnic groups have documentary heritage that crosses national
boundaries. Such groups will also be encouraged to participate
through Regional or National Memory of the World Committees.
2.7 WAYS OF PRESERVING MEMORY
2.7.1 The Memory of the World Programme will encourage
and may provide financial support for selected preservation projects.
These will conform to best professional practice wherever possible,
and follow recommended standards (see Appendix D).
2.7.2 Preservation encompasses all actions required
to make documentary heritage accessible for as long as it is required.
People responsible for preservation of documentary heritage under
the Memory of the World Programme should receive adequate training
to ensure that appropriate preservation strategies are developed
and implemented.
2.7.3 Preservation also includes specific conservation
programmes aimed at rescuing endangered documentary heritage.
Fragile documentary heritage often requires highly specialised
conservation techniques.
2.7.4 In some cases, preservation of documentary
heritage may be achieved by its transfer to an alternative medium,
particularly by digitizing, photographing, microfilming, photocopying,
or rerecording. Only by these means can the information contained
in some documentary heritage be assured of survival. The contentious
issue of retention and conservation of the original documentary
heritage must be addressed in each case. Sometimes it will be
appropriate and possible to retain and conserve the original;
in others, it may not be possible or desirable to do so.
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14 November 1996