Frequently Asked Questions

When did the Memory of the World Programme start, who by, and why was it started?

Documentary heritage reflects the diversity of languages, peoples and cultures. It is the mirror of the world and its memory. But this memory is fragile. Every day, irreplaceable parts of this memory disappear for ever. UNESCO launched the Memory of the World Programme in 1992 to guard against collective amnesia calling upon the preservation of the valuable archive holdings and library collections all over the world ensuring their wide dissemination.

How many items are inscribed on the International Memory of the World Register and how can I see them?

There are 194 collections and individual items on the International Register. The UNESCO site provides information on how to nominate items to the International Register.

How often are items inscribed on the Australian Register?

Every two years. The latest inscriptions on the Australian Register were added in October 2009. The next year for new inscriptions will be 2011.

When will the next call for nominations for the Australian Register take place?

Nominees can start preparing proposals now for items to be inscribed on the Australian Register in 2011.

We are preparing a nomination for the Memory of the World Register and although the bulk of the items are at our institution there are other items by the same creator (eg scrapbooks, films and artworks) at other places. How do we make a joint nomination?

Our overwhelming preference would be for all the holding institutions to participate in the nomination. When this occurs, as it does quite often, we present Certificates of Inscription to all the holding institutions in recognition of the Memory of the World status of the nominated collection. We have found in the past that institutions are generally keen to have their collections recognised in this way.

Of course, if one or more of the institutions is not prepared to participate for any reason, it would then be appropriate to note the existence of this material in their collections, making the point that, while one institution holds the bulk of the items, you are aware of supplementary material in other places. This addresses the criterion of completeness and integrity in the assessment of the significance of the items.