The objective of the workshop is to inform about the importance of safeguarding the recorded knowledge, ensure the preservation and universal accessibility of the world’s documentary heritage. In particular, in the current context where resources of information and creative expression are increasingly produced, distributed, accessed and maintained in digital form, creating a new legacy: the digital heritage.
The access to this relatively new form of documentary heritage will offer broadened opportunities for creation, communication and sharing of knowledge among all peoples. Internet offers unprecedented opportunities for citizens to access - in digitized form- the cultural heritage that serves as an important source of knowledge and cultural expression; even though the high cost and complexity of physical access to Information and communications technology (ICT) impedes Internet services, and access to certain groups, particularly developing countries.
Another objective of the workshop is to address the possibilities offered by digitization to improve access to information and knowledge. However, for developing countries there is an economic constraint to the high costs involved in the process of digitization and subsequent preservation of digital information.
In this regard, another workshop objective is sharing experiences and best practices on the implementation of national projects – supported by financial contributions from UNESCO through its Participation Programmes (PP) – in order to digitize the Cuban documentary heritage.
Wherefore the workshop searches to present the experiences on the implementation of PP "Scanning documents about slavery in Cuba" awarded to the National Archive of Cuba.
