Why Digital Preservation Should Be Treated as Public Policy

Abstract

This persuasive position paper aims to discuss the public policy gaps in digital preservation identified by UNESCO and persuade the development of the current digital public policies. To evidence these gaps, the principal topics of digital public policies (digital strategy) from four countries were analyzed: Brazil, France, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The analysis evidence that these digital public policies are focused on the modernization of public administration and cybersecurity; they do not contemplate digital preservation. To support the position, current legislation in record management is indicated to connect the preservation of physical and digital documents. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is also used to persuade because digital preservation is an indispensable component of sustainable development. That is because today, large amounts of cultural heritage are created and only available digitally, and never “fixed” in a physical form, museums, archives, and libraries, also embarking on an epic journey to digitization and “no development is sustainable without considering culture.” Digital culture heritage must be available for future generations, and only digital preservation can guarantee that; therefore, digital preservation must be treated as a public policy.