UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme: Global Approach to Preserving and Accessing documentary heritage by Ms Joie Springer, Senior Programme Specialist, Memory of the World Programme from UNESCO

1. UNESCO’s Memory of the World
Programme:
Global Approach to Preserving and
Accessing Documentary Heritage
Ms Joie Springer
Senior Programme Specialist, Memory of the
World Programme (UNESCO)

2. Memory of the World
A Global Approach for Preservation
and Access to Documentary Heritage
When Nations Remember
Singapore 2010

3. Protect endangered documentary heritage
from losses due to:
⋆Human agency:
⋆Ignorance, neglect, war...
⋆Natural disasters:
⋆Fire, flood, storms...
⋆Chemical
⋆Vinegar syndrome, acid paper...
⋆Technical
⋆Obsolescence...

4. Objectives:
⋆encourage preservation;
⋆facilitate universal access;
⋆raise global awareness.

5. ◊Textual items:
◊Manuscripts, Books, Newspapers…
◊Non-textual items:
◊Drawings, Prints, Maps, Music…
◊Virtual documents:
◊Websites, Electronic documents…

6. International Advisory Committee
(IAC)
Register Technical Marketing
Regional
Committees
National
Committees
Bure
au
Secretariat
Structure

7. National Committees
Approx 50
Manage national registers (Australia, Barbados,
Latvia, Mexico, United Kingdom, etc.)
Coordinate national MoW activities

8. Regional Committees:
⋆MOWCAP 1998
⋆MOWLAC 2000
⋆ARCMOW 2008

9. Jikji Prize
Commemorates inscription of
“Buljo jikji simche yojeol”
⋆Funded by Republic of Korea: Cheongju
City
⋆$30,000 every two years
⋆Outstanding work in preservation by
individuals or institutions

10. Memory of the World Register
193 items of global significance
Kelly Gang. Australia
Manuscript, Germany
Palestine refugee children schools,
UNRWA

11. Memory of the World Register
Lebanon Phoenician Alphabet
Baltic Way- Human Chain
Africa- Okigbo manuscript

12. Conclusions:
Gaining in importance and
recognition.
Still needs strengthening.
Further cooperation essential.

13. Memory of the World
http://www.unesco.org/webworld/en/mow/