Democratizing information to develop knowledge: expanding access to the science and health document collection at Fiocruz

Abstract The Oswaldo Cruz Foundation is home to significant cultural heritage comprising biological collections, buildings, and historical documents and objects denoted as strategic assets for preserving institutional memory as well as for teaching and research in the field of science and health. However, a major portion of these collections was unavailable to the public until 2014. This article introduces the process involved in providing full access to these collections and describes the challenges, solutions, and results. Finally, the management of physical and digital documents is indicated as a central component in constituting sources of information for the present and historical sources for the future.