Responding to the Digital Curation Crisis: Definitions and Recommendations for Cultural Heritage

Abstract

Despite the increasing adoption of technologies that generate, process, and analyze digital objects, the final stages of the data life cycle—archiving and preservation—remain insufficiently addressed across cultural heritage disciplines. The rapid inclusion of technologies such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), photogrammetry, 3D scanning, and remote sensing in cultural heritage has exponentially increased the volume and types of data produced. However, many cultural heritage projects lack adequate long-term planning, infrastructure, and institutional support for the proper stewardship of digital objects, leading to significant risks of data degradation, obsolescence, or complete loss. The Digital Curation Crisis refers to a critical challenge in managing, preserving, and ensuring access to the vast and ever-growing body of digital objects generated within cultural heritage. This new type of crisis is occurring adjacent to the already recognized curation crisis, and it is in this line of thinking that we structure this article. We utilize readily recognized terms and concepts associated with physical archaeological curation to convey standardized definitions, benefits, and recommendations for data producers (i.e., museum professionals, historic preservationists, and archaeologists across different sectors) and data preservationists (i.e., curating individuals and institutions) needing guidance for actionable steps toward their own digital curation journey.