Constructing Digital collections
An investigation to legal and ethical frameworks in creating and maintaining digital collections?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7146/njlis.v6i2.158666Keywords:
digitization, research libraries, digital collections, ethical considerations, post-modern archival theoryAbstract
This article investigates how legal, professional and ethical frameworks shape digital collections at six Swedish cultural heritage organizations by utilizing institutional theory. The study is based on semi-structured interviews with archivists and librarians who work closely with the digital platforms. Findings indicate that the creation of collections is primarily governed by GDPR and copyright law, alongside archival principles of accessibility. At the institutional level, both a practice of digitization-on-demand and informal policies regarding inclusion and exclusion have emerged. These informal policies often stem from contemporary norms as well as the need to protect the integrity of the subjects represented in the records.
All six institutions engage in dialogue with surrounding society, which can lead to both the addition and removal of records and metadata. This particularly in cases where records or meta-data is deemed as enforcing social hierarchies. Privacy concerns are frequently addressed by the archivists, yet complaints are rare; instead, many individuals appreciate the publication of records concerning their relatives, even when this challenges contemporary privacy norms. Lastly, professional norms such as maintaining record integrity plays an important role.
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