Naomi J. Munthali

Every day, governments, researchers, businesses, and communities generate vast amounts of digital data . However, the value of these data does not lie in their creation alone; rather, it lies in their ability to remain accessible, understandable, and reusable long after their original purpose has passed. Preserving digital information is neither automatic nor inexpensive. While technological advancements have made data storage increasingly affordable, the long-term sustainability of data curation remains constrained by organizational realities such as limited budgets, rising operational costs, shortages of skilled personnel, and inadequate institutional capacity. These issues are often overshadowed by discussions of technology, despite being among the most significant barriers to successful preservation. As organisations continue to embrace data driven decision making, the question is no longer whether data should be preserved, but whether institutions possess the financial and human ...

  Imagine spending years collecting valuable research data only to discover that no one can find, access, or reuse it a few years later. This is not a technological failure; it is often an organisational one. As institutions increasingly depend on digital information for research, governance, and innovation, effective data curation has become essential. Data curation refers to the active management, preservation, and enhancement of data throughout its lifecycle to ensure its continued accessibility and reuse ( Digital Curation Centre , 2024). While technological challenges such as media deterioration and software obsolescence receive considerable attention, organisational issues remain the most significant obstacles to sustainable data curation. At the heart of this problem is the absence of robust governance frameworks . Kanyundo (2022) notes that many institutions, particularly in developing countries, lack clear policies, standards, and guidelines for managing digital resources...

What would happen if the digital records documenting climate change, public health trends, government decisions, or scientific discoveries suddenly became inaccessible? While many of us assume that digital information lasts forever , the reality is quite different. Digital materials are surprisingly fragile. Without deliberate efforts to curate and preserve them, valuable information can become unreadable, corrupted, or lost altogether. In an age where knowledge is increasingly created and stored digitally, the preservation of digital materials has become one of the most pressing challenges facing information professionals. Data curation refers to the active management and preservation of digital assets to ensure that they remain accessible, understandable, and reusable over time (Jeffery, 2020). However, preserving digital materials involves much more than simply storing files on servers or cloud platforms. It requires protecting the context, metadata, software, and technological en...