A talk given at 'Taking the Long View: International Perspectives on E-Journal Archiving', a conference hosted by EDINA and ISSN IC at the University of Edinburgh, September 7th 2015.

1. PERSIST
UNESCO’s Memory of the World and the debate
between heritage institutions and the ICT-industry
Keepers Conference, Edinburg, 7 September 2015

2. Memory of the World Programme
• to support Member States to preserve and give access to
documentary heritage;
• since 1992;
• highest body: International Advisory Committee (IAC);
• various sub-committees;
• most visible part: Memory of the World Register
• current global initiatives:
• Recommendation Documentary Heritage
• PERSIST

3. PERSIST
• Platform to Enhance the Sustainability of the
Information Society Transglobally
• Goal:to start a global policy discussion amongst
three groups of stakeholders:
• heritage institutions
• government
• ICT-community

5. Evolution of PERSIST
• 2003 UNESCO Charter Digital Heritage
• 2012 Vancouver MoW Conference Documentary
Heritage in the Digital Age
• UNESCO engages the ICT-industry
• ICA President’s concerns about ‘dynamic
digital archiving’ and lack of influence in
the emerging ICT-standards
• IFLA joins
• 2013 kick-off meeting The Hague
• 2014-2015 phase 1 with the support of the
Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and
Science

6. 6

7. Structure of PERSIST
• Steering Committee
• Three Task Forces
• Content Task Force (IFLA)
• Technology Task Force (ICA)
• Policy Task Force (UNESCO)

8. Content Task Force
• Guidelines for Selection of Digital Heritage
• aimed at all types of heritage institutions
• hypothesis: practices blur in the digital age
• inspiration from museum practices
challenges:
• selection seems understudied
• role of the user in selection in the digital age?
• participation of private companies

9. Technology Task Force
• Plan for a Heritage Software Platform