Chapter 6 Conclusion

In the preceding chapters, we have aimed to explore the meanings and contexts of ‘digital cultural heritage’, through the lenses of access, use and reuse, value(s), and the sustainability and preservation of cultural heritage collections. We have, of course, considered the collections held by memory and information-holding institutions, but we have also been concerned with digitised cultural heritage that exists in other settings, from community archives to commercial entities. We have attempted to outline the scope of what constitutes digital cultural heritage – and what the concept might evolve to include in the future. While we may have gone some way to achieving breadth, there will inevitably be areas to which we have not paid due attention or that fall outside our collective expertise. If breadth of focus is within grasp, this short book is certainly not designed to go into any one aspect of digital cultural heritage in depth. It aims for survey and synthesis rather than detailed exploration; to spark conversation and even create challenge; to serve as a catalyst for further research. It is a partial view of a particular moment in time.

We have brought together key concepts, projects, initiatives, policies and frameworks to inform discussion about the multiple interpretations, contexts and uses of what may constitute ‘digital cultural heritage’. To conclude as we began, we have sought to think about how we got here, what ‘here’ looks like – depending on your vantage point – and how the landscape of digital cultural heritage may develop in years to come. We have been concerned with the past, present and possible futures of digital cultural heritage, all of which remain underexplored and/or contested in important aspects. The book foregrounds examples that demonstrate the parameters of digital cultural heritage today, exploring the current landscapes of research and practice, identifying some of the different human and technical factors that are shaping those landscapes, reflecting on the ambiguous and mutating forms of digital cultural heritage, and identifying possible future areas for research.

We hope that this volume will serve as something of a call to action. First, it is a call to recognise the value of the myriad forms of digital cultural heritage, from a digitised version of a unique medieval Book of Hours, to a discussion thread on the social media platform Bluesky, to the contents of a government email server. We may not be able to fully define value, but we can begin to look for it beyond the traditional locations, to integrate the digital into wider national and international discussions about heritage and culture. Second, it is a call for increased attention to and investment in the human and technical infrastructures that allow the collection, preservation and presentation of digital cultural heritage. Within a generally under-resourced sector, the teams and individuals entrusted with safeguarding digital forms of cultural heritage are often among those facing the greatest constraints. Digital cultural heritage, as distinct from digital education and engagement, for example, is frequently either an add-on to core business or simply a step that is altogether too far for smaller institutions and organisations. Finally, it is a call for increased collaboration and dialogue between all of those who have a stake in the futures of digital cultural heritage. As noted elsewhere in this book, openness to collaboration has been one of the hallmarks of the field, but there is scope for greater dialogue and partnership, both cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary. For collaboration to thrive, however, institutions need to foster an environment in which there is time and space for experimentation and conversation. We hope that others will follow the example of this book, which is co-authored by researchers working in higher education and cultural heritage and aims to speak to both sectors. It is a small step, but an important one.

The consequences of not working across boundaries – of all kinds – to identify and safeguard digital cultural heritage are serious and the pressures on time and resources are growing. Digital materials are vulnerable; even the most apparently secure can disappear with little or no warning. We cannot, and should not, keep everything, but we need to understand the ‘contours’ (Ahnert et al. 2023, 34) of the digital cultural heritage that is being created around us every day in order to focus limited resources, marshal scarce skills and direct energy and key expertise. It is a crucial work in progress.