Gli archivi digitali fra memoria e ri-creazione

Paper presented at the conference "Theatralia volant, digitalia manent?", Reggio Emilia, November 17, 1999Preserving a document in its original form, describing it, making it accessible, have always been the main tasks of an archive. And this fundamental mission does not change when the document to be preserved is in digital form. In this case, however, the archive might give itself a further task: that of granting the possibility of a new life for the digital documents preserved. Allowing for their dissemination, re-use, and - if and when possible - even modification (while granting the preservation of a copy of the document in its original form), the archive acquires a new role in the process of active information building and exchange