The Internet as a Tool for Communicating Life Stories: A New Challenge for ‘Memory Institutions’

This paper arguesthat life stories and other personalbiographical accounts should be considered as significantmanifestations of the intangible cultural heritage. Itaddresses the consequences for ‘memory institutions’, i.e.museums, libraries, archives and similar bodies, in relationto the protection and safeguarding of this heritage. First,the main challenges that these institutions have to face inorder to protect this special kind of heritage areconsidered. Second, there is consideration of the mainchanges caused by the introduction of new informationcommunication technologies (ICTs) into the culturalheritage world, and specifically, the effect of ICTdevelopments on the institutions responsible forautobiographical memoirs are examined.