Digitizing Cultural Heritage for Posterity

Every generation passes down treasured artifacts, knowledge and stories which help to inform others for years to come.  Even more impactful is when individuals from distant lands are able to also access these treasures, sharing and passing down information from other cultures.  The digitization of the traditions and stories of the Christmas Lectures® from the Royal Institution in London is just one example of many such artifacts.

A cultural British staple since 1825, the Christmas Lectures® connect children and young people with science in an engaging and captivating way.  A new initiative is completing digitization of the entire library and working to locate 10 missing lectures.

Using technology to digitize and share content presented by the likes of Dr. Alison Woolward of Oxford University and Professor Eric Laithwaite of the Imperial College of London, even astronomer and cosmologist Carl Sagan, allows youth all around the world to experience the power of science, what it has meant to our society, and what it will mean for our future.

I urge you to visit Information Preservation to learn more about the Christmas Lectures® as well as other EMC-sponsored digitization projects around the world.   We must all do our part to preserve our past and present for the future.

About the Author: Chris Goode