The electronic storage of cultural heritage: challenges and uncertainties

The electronic storage and retrieval of cultural heritage is a great challenge because of the need to maintain components of social memory which is the basis of identity and which is therefore a necessary condition of health and survival. In many countries, cultural heritage has been lost or is endangered, but electronic storage offers the possibility of retention. However there is great uncertainty over the ethics of ownership of cultural property. Debate often takes place in terms of rightful but neglectful ownership versus acquired benevolent custodial ownership often with colonial origin. Virtual ownership may appear to provide an answer but in view of the psychological significance of memorabilia including actual human bodies and body parts, this would seem highly unlikely. However, in other areas, such as the archiving of text and voice of endangered languages, electronic storage offers a challenge of immense value