PERSIST Mission and Vision

UNESCO PERSIST is part of the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme (MoW).

MoW is dedicated to the identification, access and preservation of the documentary heritage in general. UNESCO PERSIST is its digital branch, focused on the long-term access to the Digital Documentary Heritage. It facilitates development of effective policies, sustainable technical approaches and best preservation practices.

The PERSIST activities are coordinated by the Programme’s Steering Committee and facilitated by three Working Groups: Policy, Technology & Research, and Content & Best Practices.

Policy Working Group

The Policy Working Group focusses on existing and emerging policies and strategies for digital preservation of documentary heritage by the Governments and Memory Institutions, including libraries, archives, audio-visual archives, museums and new types of data managing institutions. Through the Community work, it promotes application, outcome, and impact of these policies and strategies.

The PERSIST Policy Workgroup comprises

• Robert Buckley (National Archives of the United Arab Emirates) (Chair)
• Ulla Bøgvad Kejser (Danish National Library)
• Maureen Pennock (The British Library)

Read the Terms of Reference 2016-2017 for the Policy Working Group

Technology & Research Working Group

The Technology (T&R) Working Group facilitates a dialogue and collaboration between the digital content holders and technology producers to address the issues of technology obsolescence and impact on the Digital Heritage.

It works with the open source community and commercial software vendors on the technology life-cycle management to achieve digital continuity and secure long-term access to the World’s Digital Heritage.

T&R Workgroup drives support for innovation and research by increasing awareness of economic sustainability required to sustain long term-use of software and digital content induces.

• Natasa Milic-Frayling (Intact Digital Ltd) (Chair)
• Jessica Meyerson (Software Preservation Network)

Content & Best Practices Working Group

The Content and Best Practices Working Group is concerned with existing and emerging needs of digital preservation practitioners and how these can be best addressed at the local, national and international levels.

It works with the practitioners to identify key issues and mobilize experts to provide best-practices and guidelines, such as guidelines for content selections and preservation.

• Ingrid Parent (University of British Columbia; acting on behalf of IFLA) (Chair)
• Tanja Clausen (IFLA).