The Polish MOW Register as a tool for preserving documentary heritage

The most recognized means of sharing and disseminating knowledge of documentary heritage elements are the registers (lists) operating under UNESCO’s Memory of the World Program. Material and procedural conditions, in conjunction with the values underlying the UNESCO Memory of the World Program, determine the degree to which the goal of ensuring accessibility, as well as the promotion and dissemination of elements of documentary heritage, is achieved. In this regard, an important role is played by lists operating at the national level, providing the widest access to information on documentary heritage. The purpose of the article is also to consider the legal nature and to refer to the current discussion on the legitimacy of the introduction and shape of the procedure for entry on the national list.

The most recognized means of sharing and disseminating knowledge of documentary heritage elements are the registers (lists) operating under UNESCO’s Memory of the World Program. Material and procedural conditions, in conjunction with the values underlying the UNESCO Memory of the World Program, determine the degree to which the goal of ensuring accessibility, as well as the promotion and dissemination of elements of documentary heritage, is achieved. In this regard, an important role is played by lists operating at the national level, providing the widest access to information on documentary heritage. The purpose of the article is also to consider the legal nature and to refer to the current discussion on the legitimacy of the introduction and shape of the procedure for entry on the national list.