What if Documentary Heritage Attracted Tourists? Thoughts on the Potential for Tourism of Historical Libraries and Archives

Resumo

Socially speaking, historical libraries and archives above all are linked to scientific research. Only rarely are they regarded as venues for leisure and tourism. Unlike monuments and museums, historical libraries and archives are usually perceived as repositories of written documents from the past. They are typically deemed of interest only to those looking for materials to support their interests in history. However, some of those institutions have met with success in society by developing programmes and activities that do not cater only for their usual patrons, but to other user groups too, targeting both formal and non-formal educational contexts. The motivation for the latter is also rooted in entertainment.
This paper offers some reflections on the potential of documentary heritage for tourism. It singles out the values ascribed to historical documents by contemporary societies throughout the process of classifying those documents as heritage; it highlights the procedures employed by the institutions responsible for preserving documentary heritage, so as to make the collections in their custody more visible; lastly, it underlines UNESCO's role in defining documentary heritage policies and the value ascribed to documents as cultural assets. The paper will mostly draw from examples in the Lusosphere.