For the people: How we make online LAM collections more democratized

Abstract

The article discusses how digitization in libraries, museums, and archives (LAM) can become more democratic. Digitization within LAM scholarship has been seen historically as a democratic act because it provides universal access to cultural heritage content, breaks down authoritative narratives, and enables participation from users. The article critiques the misconception that online collections democratize artifact information for public consumption and explores the ways in which LAM institutions fall short of living up to their democratic ideals when it comes to digital collections projects. Inspired by others with similar critiques, the authors discuss how LAM institutions can better fulfill the ideal of accessible and equitable access to their collections. The article emphasizes the importance of five areas of digital collections projects: system design, metadata practices, digitization selection and prioritization, labor, and user participation and engagement. The widespread misconception that digitization and digital collections are democratizing is a result of institutional biases that have masked undemocratic processes and systems which the authors strive to expose.

“This is an original manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in the Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship on April 5, 2024, available online: https://doi.org/10.1080/1941126X.2024.2306042.