Memory of the World Register

Memory of the World Register
Name	Memory of the World Register
Caption	Logo associated with the program
Established	1992
Location	International
Type	Documentary heritage register
Owner	UNESCO

Contents

Memory of the World Register

The Memory of the World Register is an international inventory created to recognize and conserve documentary heritage of global significance, linking archival collections, manuscripts, maps, sound recordings and films to a network of preservation and access initiatives. The program identifies items ranging from royal archives and literary manuscripts to scientific papers and audiovisual collections, fostering cooperation between institutions such as the British Library, Bibliothèque nationale de France, National Archives (United Kingdom), Library of Congress, and Vatican Apostolic Library. It engages stakeholders including the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, the International Council on Archives, and the International Council of Museums to balance conservation, access and digitization priorities.

Overview

The Register catalogs documentary heritage that embodies exceptional significance, highlighting items like the Magna Carta, the Domesday Book, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Gutenberg Bible, the Declaration of Independence (United States), and the Treaty of Versailles. It encompasses diverse holdings from national repositories such as the National Archives and Records Administration, the Russian State Archive, the National Diet Library (Japan), the National Library of China, and the State Central Museum of Contemporary History (Russia). Program outreach engages cultural authors or creators associated with collections like William Shakespeare, Leo Tolstoy, Franz Kafka, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The Register informs policy debates involving instruments such as the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and interacts with initiatives like the World Digital Library and the Europeana platform.

Launched by UNESCO in 1992 after advocacy by figures at conferences involving the International Council on Archives and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, the program responded to risks exposed by events such as the destruction at National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Bosnian War and the losses suffered by collections in Iraq during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Early inscriptions included treasures from institutions like the British Library, the Biblioteca Nacional de España, and the Biblioteca Nacional de México. The Register expanded through regional committees and national nominating authorities including the Australian National Commission for UNESCO, the United States National Commission for UNESCO, and the Japanese National Commission for UNESCO. Milestones include thematic projects focusing on archives of figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Abraham Lincoln, and collections linked to events like the Atlantic Charter and the Yalta Conference.

Nominations require support from eligible bodies such as national libraries (e.g., Bibliothèque nationale de France), national archives (e.g., National Archives of India), museums (e.g., Smithsonian Institution), and research institutes (e.g., Max Planck Society). Evaluation applies criteria emphasizing authenticity, uniqueness, world significance, and state of preservation, drawing on expertise from panels including representatives of the International Council on Archives, the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, and the International Council on Museums. The process parallels other heritage systems like the UNESCO World Heritage Convention and involves national committees such as the National Commission for UNESCO (India) and bodies like the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Successful nominations yield inscriptions comparable in visibility to listings like the World Heritage List and policy instruments including the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme.

Inscriptions span manuscripts, maps, music, films, oral traditions and photographic collections. Famous inscriptions include the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Gutenberg Bible, the Magna Carta, the Domesday Book, the Treaty of Tordesillas, and the papers of leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Winston Churchill, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson. Scientific and exploratory records include material linked to Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, and voyages like the Voyage of the Beagle and the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Cultural treasures include archives of William Shakespeare, the Homeric Hymns manuscripts, musical sources for Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Sebastian Bach, and film archives such as collections related to Sergei Eisenstein and Charlie Chaplin. Regional and indigenous documentary heritage features items from the Māori collections, the Aboriginal Australians records, the Sami archives, and manuscripts housed in institutions like the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Archivo General de Indias, and the National Archives of Pakistan.

Inscriptions stimulate conservation funding, training and digitization projects undertaken by partners including the European Commission, the World Bank, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Library of Congress. Digitization collaborations involve platforms such as the Europeana, the World Digital Library, and national digital libraries like the Digital Public Library of America and the National Diet Library Digital Collections. Crisis response and disaster risk reduction draw on guidelines from agencies like the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and technical standards from organizations such as the International Organization for Standardization and the International Council on Archives. Preservation initiatives have benefited holdings associated with figures like Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., Simón Bolívar, Sukarno, and events like the French Revolution and the American Civil War through conservation, cataloging, and access enhancements.

The program is administered by a secretariat within UNESCO supported by advisory bodies including an international advisory committee composed of experts from institutions such as the British Library, the Library of Congress, the Bibliothèque nationale de France, and the International Council on Archives. National execution involves national commissions for UNESCO and nominated national focal points such as the National Archives (United Kingdom), the National Archives of India, and the National Library of Australia. Funding and partnerships engage philanthropic foundations like the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and multilateral actors including the United Nations Development Programme and regional organizations such as the Council of Europe. The Register operates alongside related UNESCO instruments like the UNESCO World Heritage Committee and the UNESCO World Memory Programme.

Category:UNESCO programs