Whereas the importance of conserving paintings, sculptures, monuments and even landscapes has largely been understood, hardly anyone is aware of the vulnerability of documents. Paper containing acid disintegrates, irreplaceable records can no longer be played, films rot and fade, magnetic tapes lose their surface, and after a few years, because of changing hard- and software, electronic documents can no longer be read.

The situation is serious: if our efforts to preserve our existing knowledge are not intensified, we shall lose a considerable part of our collective knowledge within the coming decades. Paradoxically, it is the most recent information on the latest carriers which is the most at risk.

This virtual exhibition is aimed at drawing attention to factors which threaten the preservation of documentary information in all its forms.