Introduction. This study explores how personal information management practices could be used to help migrating individuals manage their cultural heritage legacies and to investigate how digital collections of libraries, archives, museums and other information institutions could be utilised by individuals to support further discovery of and learning about their cultural heritages.

Method. This paper presents the results of a qualitative research study conducted on a purposive sample of 10 Croatian expatriates living in Europe and on expatriates from various countries living in Croatia. Participants were interviewed about their personal information management practices with a focus on immigration experiences and cultural information needs. Participants used an information source relevant for their personal collections or needs and described their experiences in semi-structured diaries.

Results. Migration motivates people to assess the value of personal information and objects and to invest their effort in describing, safeguarding and sharing documents or items with significant value. A stronger motivation exists for using libraries, archives and museum collections when a need arises resulting from a knowledge gap about items in personal collections.

Conclusions. Personal information management practices can make a significant difference in managing personal cultural heritage legacy. Collections of information institutions can constitute a part of those practices.