[BOAI] International Conference: “Memory of the World in the Digital Age: Digitization and Preservation”

[Carolina Rossini]

13.01.2012 -
International Conference: “Memory of the World in the Digital Age:
Digitization and Preservation”

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/events/calendar-of-events/events-websites/the-memory-of-the-world-in-the-digital-age-digitization-and-preservation/

<http://www.unesco.org/new/index.php?eID=tx_cms_showpic&file=fileadmin%2FMULTIMEDIA%2FHQ%2FCI%2FCI%2Fimages%2Fnews%2Fnews_13012012_digitization2.jpg&md5=f4935ddb43af3dd2ee7d76a52ba70c8452c00a21&parameters[0]=YTo0OntzOjU6IndpZHRoIjtzOjQ6IjUwMG0iO3M6NjoiaGVpZ2h0IjtzOjM6IjUw&parameters[1]=MCI7czo3OiJib2R5VGFnIjtzOjI0OiI8Ym9keSBiZ0NvbG9yPSIjZmZmZmZmIj4i&parameters[2]=O3M6NDoid3JhcCI7czozNzoiPGEgaHJlZj0iamF2YXNjcmlwdDpjbG9zZSgpOyI%2B&parameters[3]=IHwgPC9hPiI7fQ%3D%3D>

© iStockphotos.com
UNESCO will convene an International Conference on the “Memory of the World
in the Digital Age: Digitization and Preservation” from 26 to 28 September
2012 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

As part of the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the creation of the
Memory of the World Programme, UNESCO will organize an international
conference from 26 to 28 September 2012 in Vancouver (BC) Canada, to
explore the main issues affecting the preservation of digital documentary
heritage. It is expected that the Conference will help to develop
strategies that contribute to greater protection of digital assets and
define an implementation methodology that is especially applicable in
developing countries. The Conference will bring together professionals from
the documentary heritage sectors, as well as a range of government, IT
industry, rights-holders and other stakeholders to assess the major
prevailing issues in order to propose practical recommendations that will
ensure permanent access to digital documentary heritage.

Although knowledge is today primarily created and accessed through digital
media, it is highly ephemeral and could result in digital amnesia in the
event of a natural disaster or technological failure. Despite the adoption
of the UNESCO Charter on the Preservation of the Digital
Heritage<http://unesdoc.unesco.org/ulis/cgi-bin/ulis.pl?catno=131178>
in
2003, there is still insufficient awareness of the risks of loss of photos,
music and video recordings, as well as personal or business email,
contacts, files and other important digital documents.

Digital information has economic value as a cultural product and as a
source of knowledge. It plays a major role in national sustainable
development as, increasingly, personal, governmental and commercial
information is created in digital form only. But digitized national assets
also constitute an immense wealth of the countries concerned and of society
at large. The disappearance of this heritage will engender economic and
cultural impoverishment and hamper the advancement of knowledge.

Ensuring digital continuity of content can only be overcome if a range of
legal, technological, social, financial, political and other obstacles are
addressed. The Vancouver Conference therefore seeks to achieve:

   - the launch of specific initiatives related to digital preservation and
   to the fostering of access to documentary heritage through digitization;
   - the revision of the UNESCO Charter on the Preservation of Digital
   Heritage;
   - the identification of the legal frameworks and solutions to facilitate
   long-term digital preservation;
   - the agreement on the promotion and/or development of exchange
   standards;
   - the definition of the respective roles and responsibilities of all
   stakeholders and elaboration of a cooperation model.

The Conference is open to all interested persons, especially those from
developing countries, including professionals, academics, industry and
government policy makers. More details can be found at the conference
website<http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/events/calendar-of-events/events-websites/the-memory-of-the-world-in-the-digital-age-digitization-and-preservation/>
.

Memory of the World

UNESCO launched the Memory of the World Programme
<http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/flagship-project-activities/memory-of-the-world/homepage/>to
guard against collective amnesia through the preservation of valuable
archive, library and museum collections all over the world, and ensuring
their wide dissemination. The Programme is intended to protect documentary
heritage, and helps networks of experts to exchange information and raise
resources for preservation of and access to documentary material.



-- 
*Carolina Rossini*
Support OER in Brazil!
www.rea.net.br
+ 1 6176979389
*carolina.rossini at gmail.com*
(for www.eff.org related matters, pls contact me at carolina at eff.org)
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