DATA CURATION PRESERVATION ISSUES (ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES)

 

Digital curation has become a critical function in libraries, archives, research institutions and government organizations seeking to preserve digital assets for long-term access and use (Akers & Doty, 2013). While technological challenges often receive significant attention, organizational issues are equally important determinants of successful digital preservation. Effective digital curation requires not only technical infrastructure but also strong governance structures, adequate resources, skilled personnel and institutional commitment (Erima & Maseh, 2025; Zareef & Jabeen, 2025b). Without these organizational foundations, preservation initiatives may struggle to achieve sustainability and long-term impact.

One of the major organizational challenges involves policy development and implementation. Digital preservation policies provide a framework for managing digital assets throughout their lifecycle including acquisition, storage, access and disposal. However, many organizations either lack formal preservation policies or fail to enforce existing ones consistently (Faniel & Yakel, 2017). Chawinga & Zinn (2021) found that universities in Malawi lacked formal policies guiding data curation and preservation. This led to inconsistent practices, uncertainty regarding responsibilities and difficulties in maintaining the authenticity and integrity of digital materials (Chawinga & Zinn, 2021; Erima & Maseh, 2025). Comprehensive policies help establish organizational standards and ensure that preservation activities align with institutional goals.

Secondly, staffing and professional expertise presents another organizational challenge. Successful digital curation depends on personnel with specialized skills in metadata management, digital preservation standards, information technology and records management (Yoon et al., 2025). However, many institutions experience shortages of qualified staff or lack of opportunities for continuous professional development. As technologies and preservation standards evolve, ongoing training becomes essential to ensure that staff can effectively manage increasingly complex digital collections. Without adequate expertise, institutions risk implementing ineffective preservation practices that compromise long-term accessibility (Chawinga & Zinn, 2021; Zareef & Jabeen, 2025b).

Furthermore, resource allocation and financial sustainability is another issue. Digital preservation is an ongoing process that requires continuous funding for infrastructure, software maintenance, storage systems and preservation activities. However, Pasqui (2024) argues that many institutions lack adequate funding and  infrastructure to implement robust preservation systems, leading to gaps in long-term preservation capacity.

Furthermore, institutional collaboration and coordination are increasingly important in digital preservation. Digital curation often requires cooperation among librarians, information technology professionals, researchers and administrators. However, there is weak collaboration between researchers and librarians which results in weakened preservation efforts (Chawinga & Zinn, 2021; Zareef & Jabeen, 2025a). Collaboration is necessary beyond institutional boundaries as shared repositories, preservation networks and consortium based approaches can reduce costs and improve preservation capacity. Institutions that operate in isolation may struggle to keep pace with evolving preservation requirements and best practices (Erima & Maseh, 2025; Zareef & Jabeen, 2025b).

In conclusion, as digital information continues to expand rapidly, organizational readiness will play a decisive role in determining whether valuable digital resources remain accessible for future generations. Institutions should therefore establish strong governance frameworks, provide sustainable funding, invest in workforce development and implement comprehensive preservation policies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOJ_caBnaKY

 

References

Akers, K. G., & Doty, J. (2013). Disciplinary Differences in Faculty Research Data Management Practices and Perspectives. The International Journal of Digital Curation, 8(2), 5–26. https://doi.org/10.2218/ijdc.v8i2.263

Chawinga, W. D., & Zinn, S. (2021). Research Data Management in Universities : A Comparative Study from the Perspectives of Librarians and Management Research Data Management in Universities : A Comparative Study. International Information & Library Review, 53(2), 97–111. https://doi.org/10.1080/10572317.2020.1793448

Erima, J. A., & Maseh, E. (2025). The Journal of the Archives and Records Association Digital records curation practices in Institutional Repositories ( IRs ) at selected public universities in Kenya Digital records curation practices in Institutional Repositories ( IRs ) at selected public universities in Kenya. Archives and Records, 46(2), 119–135. https://doi.org/10.1080/23257962.2025.2508700

Faniel, I. M., & Yakel, E. (2017). Practices Do Not Make Perfect Disciplinary Data Sharing and Reuse Practices and Their Implications for Repository Data Curation. In L. R. Johnson (Ed.), Curating Research Data, Volume 1: Strategies for your Digital Repository (Vol. 1, pp. 103–126). Association of College and Research Libraries.

Pasqui, V. (2024). Digital curation and long-term digital preservation in libraries. JLIS.It, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.36253/jlis.it-567

Yoon, A., Kim, J., & Donaldson, D. R. (2025). Big data curation framework : Curation actions and challenges. Journal of Information Scienc, 51(1), 205–223. https://doi.org/10.1177/01655515221133528

Zareef, M., & Jabeen, M. (2025a). A systematic review of digital curation services in academic libraries : navigating policies , skills and challenges. Digital Library Perspectives, July. https://doi.org/10.1108/DLP-10-2024-0158

Zareef, M., & Jabeen, M. (2025b). Systematic literature review of digital curation services in academic libraries ( 2001 – 2023 ): A global perspective. Journal of Information Science, 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1177/01655515241305348