A. Digital preservation in the Southeast Asia-Pacific region is shaped by resourcefulness, collaboration, and cultural care. It is also shaped by barriers—both within institutions and across national and linguistic boundaries—and by a recognition that digital preservation practices, as currently defined by dominant frameworks, often reflect prevailing models of practice developed in different institutional and cultural contexts.
This panel brings together practitioners and advocates from Southeast Asia-Pacific region and beyond to share pragmatic digital preservation stories grounded in local realities. Each panellist will present a short case study reflecting how they are navigating limited resources, institutional blockers, and shifting understandings of what “best practice” looks like from where they stand.
Beyond sharing how digital preservation is being done, this panel asks:
• Who gets to define “good” or “best” practice?
• How can we centre digital preservation practices for our region?
• What happens when access is restricted—by cost, policy, or power?
• How do we move from technical compliance to cultural relevance?
Themes include digital preservation as a form of activism against erasure, gaps in access and digital agency, collaboration across borders and disciplines, and the importance of stepping outside one’s own context to share authority and reframe knowledge. The discussion will also spotlight common regional blockers—such as the conflation of digitisation and digital preservation, language barriers, and the steep costs of tools, infrastructure, and training.
Informed by the iPRES Regional Impact Committee’s discussions and SEAPAVAA community insights, this session not only celebrates what's working but calls for deeper conversations about ethics, equity, and regional collaboration in digital preservation.