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Sustainable digitisation

  • What actually is sustainable digitisation?

  • Museums are increasingly digitising their collections to make them more accessible to a global audience and to ensure long-term preservation. © Public Domain

  • However, the digitisation process relies upon extensive use of equipment & processes that have high environmental impact due to the energy consumption and potential e-waste from obsolete equipment. © Public Domain

  • A single minute of digitised film can result in a 100GB file, which is significant in terms of digital storage. 100 GB data stored on the cloud for a year generates emissions equivalent to a new passenger car running for 1650 kilometres (approximately).

  • By prioritising digitisation efforts and deciding to reduce the overall number of digitised collections based on: a) the significance of the object b) user needs or demand. Or by optimising the use of digital files for online viewing and professional use. For example, by offering choice for users to download lighter digital file formats museums are able to reduce data transfer and energy consumption associated with downloading.

  • Use of green and efficient technology (including software) for digitisation. For example use of energy efficient scanners or equipment powered using renewable energy sources like solar panels or wind turbines and efficient cooling systems for server rooms and data centers or use of green cloud-based storage solutions. © Public Domain

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