Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
On the other hand, advances in digital information technology are making that all
previously cultural heritage data: text, documents, books, maps, etc. are slowly
being converted into digital format (example PDF), this again increases the
amount of digital cultural heritage data.
Other documentation supports have seen digital advances, with digital images
and scanned PDF files supplanting paper photos and documents.
One major problem in the cultural heritage domain is that the community using
all the digital data (cultural conservationists, archaeologists, etc.) are by far not
information technology experts. The community cares about its digital data but
considers that storing the data in a CD or DVD is good enough for its preser-
vation! This has been a major consideration for the CASPAR project where the
whole of the testbed was designed to bring into the digital data preservation
domain a community that has no expertise in digital data preservation.
Understanding that digital data was at risk of being lost and that its preservation
for the benefit of present and future generations was an urgent issue of world-
wide concern, UNESCO adopted in 2003 the “Charter on the Preservation of the
Digital Heritage”.
This Charter proclaims that “The world's digital heritage is at risk of being lost
to posterity. Contributing factors include the rapid obsolescence of the hardware
and software which brings it to life, uncertainties about resources, responsibil-
ity and methods for maintenance and preservation, and the lack of supportive
legislation.
UNESCO, by virtue of its mandate and functions, has the responsibility to
assist Member States to take the principles set forth in this Charter into
account in the functioning of its programmes and promote their implementation
within the United Nations system and by intergovernmental and international
non-governmental organizations concerned with the preservation of the digital
heritage;”
Within the framework of the CASPAR project and following the recommenda-
tions of the Charter on the Preservation of the Digital Heritage, the objectives of
UNESCO's cultural testbed are as follows:
21.1 Dataset Selection
21.1.1 World Heritage Inscription
All of the documentation and data on World Heritage cultural sites which is held
at UNESCO premises represents the justification for the sites' World Heritage
