From material memory to digital permanence: A theoretical study on the ethics of preservation in library and archival practice

Abstract

Preservation has long served as a central function of libraries and archives, traditionally understood as the physical protection of manuscripts, rare books, records, and documentary heritage. The shift toward digitization and digital repositories has transformed this function into a dynamic process of ensuring long-term accessibility, integrity, and continuity across changing technological environments. This theoretical study examines the ethical dimensions of that transformation. Drawing on archival theory (Terry Cook and Verne Harris) and postmodern ethics (Jacques Derrida and Zygmunt Bauman), it investigates how authenticity, access, selection, and institutional responsibility are redefined when materials move from physical form to digital permanence. Through qualitative analysis of scholarly literature, institutional policies, and selected national and cultural initiatives, the study demonstrates that preservation is no longer a neutral technical activity but an interpretive and ethical practice that shapes collective memory. Findings indicate that authentic preservation in digital environments prioritizes contextual integrity, provenance, and sustained usability rather than mere physical replication, while ethical challenges arise around selection bias, copyright, technological dependency, and unequal access. The study concludes that libraries and archives must continuously negotiate authenticity, accessibility, and responsibility to sustain meaningful cultural memory for future generations.