Friday, June 3, 2011

New collections come to enrich the Memory of the World




The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova has recently endorsed recommendations by the International Advisory Committee of the Memory of the World Committee to inscribe 45 new documents and documentary collections from all over the world on the Memory of the World Register, which now numbers a total of 238 items.

The inscriptions were recommended by the International Advisory Committee of the Memory of the World Programme that met in Manchester (UK) from 22 to 25 of May 2011.

UNESCO launched the Memory of the World Programme in 1992 to guard against collective amnesia through the preservation of the valuable archive holdings and library collections all over the world and ensuring their wide dissemination.

The UNESCO website explains the decision to create such a list:

“Listing of items such as these on the Memory of the World Register is intended to generate interest and help with the conservation of documentary heritage which helps us to understand our society in all its complexities. However war, social upheaval, looting, illegal trading, destruction, inadequate conservation and lack of funding have all had a disastrous effect on the conservation of our documentary heritage. A growing awareness of this, together with UNESCO’s belief that the world’s documentary heritage belongs to all and should be preserved and protected, led to the establishment of its Memory of the World programme in 1992.”

The programme works to identify and facilitate the preservation of valuable archive holdings and library collections worldwide, and assists with their dissemination. Inscription of a collection in the Memory of the World register, created in 1995, is part of the process.

The Memory of the World Register covers all types of material and support, including stone, celluloid, parchment, audio recordings and more.

Source from : http://www.pasthorizons.com


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