World Day for Audiovisual Heritage 2017

All of the world's audiovisual heritage is at risk in the Digital age. Over time it became clear to the professional community that an array of obstacles faced by institutions and individuals dedicated to preserving historic sound recordings and moving images had become a serious global  problem. It is through initiatives such as the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage and the Memory of the World Programme, that  precious work of preservation professionals is given impetus to manage a range of technical, political, social, financial and other factors that threaten the safeguard of this heritage. Audiovisual heritage is  endangered by the fragility of the media and the rapid technological obsolescence.  It is often being neglected due to economic shortage or because of lack of understanding of its importance. Its value is not sufficiently recognized. The result is that entire collections of material on film, tape and disc and the value they represent are at risk of being lost forever.

A growing number of archives around the world are commemorating the WDAH with activities that highlight the fragility and vulnerability of the audiovisual heritage, while celebrating the work of the heritage institutions that have helped to protect, preserve and provide access to it.

In adopting 27 October as the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage, UNESCO, in cooperation with the Co-ordinating Council of Audiovisual Archives Associations (CCAAA) and other institutions, has helped to raise the profile of the issues at stake and focus global attention on the importance of the fragility of this heritage on the one hand and the importance of its timely safeguarding for present and future generations.