Digital heritage and information: politics, culture and diversity

Abstract

This text is part of the post-doctoral research in Information Science, performed at the École de Bibliothéconomie et des Sciences de l'Information (EBSI), at Université de Montréal – Canada. The following areas are discussed: Information, Social Memory, Culture and Digital Heritage. Some reflections are presented concerning the challenges of heritage safeguard and access, with emphasis on the related cultural, economical and political questions. The following document is taken as an initial element for reflection: “UNESCO Charter on the Preservation of the Digital Heritage” and on the “World Memory”. This document, widely disseminated on the Internet, has stimulated the different member countries and institutions in the establishment of politics, strategies, action, programs, patterns, directives and methodologies to ensure the preservation and access to the world memory and heritage in the virtual environment.