No funds, no files, still archiving: How South Asian institutions preserve memory anyway is a five-minute lightning talk based on the everyday realities of working with archives in Pakistan. In many institutions, whether universities, libraries, hospitals, or government offices, there is little infrastructure for archiving. Records are scattered, budgets are tight or nonexistent, and digital preservation is rarely seen as a priority. But somehow, the work still happens.

This talk shares what it looks like to build an archive from scratch in such a setting. Based on experience from a university archive in Karachi, it also brings in short case examples from other Pakistani institutions facing similar challenges. The focus is not on best practices but on real practices, on what people actually do when they have to preserve memory without formal systems to support them.

Participants will hear about small wins and daily improvisations. These include digitizing fragile documents with smartphones, using Excel to create basic finding aids, storing materials in shared drives, and slowly convincing leadership that this work matters. These stories are not unique to one institution. They reflect a larger pattern across Pakistan, where archival work is often informal, invisible, and deeply necessary.

This session is for anyone who has worked in an archive or library where resources are limited but the need to preserve is urgent. It is also an invitation to think about how digital preservation can be more inclusive of people working in under-resourced contexts. What support do we really need? What can we share with each other? How can global conversations include what is happening on the ground in places like Pakistan?

This talk will be delivered in person by a single presenter and draws directly from fieldwork and experiences across local and national archival spaces in Pakistan.

This paper presents Out There, a multimodal, interdisciplinary project that captures 2D photography, 3D models, Gaussian splats, volumetric video, and oral histories to document the work of a legally blind sculptor in a remote outdoor setting. Designed to serve both as a digital preservation strategy and a collaborative framework, the project examines challenges such as file format volatility, interoperability, metadata standards, and storage demands. Drawing on evolving best practices and preservation models, we propose strategies for maintaining long-term access to complex digital assets while centering collaboration with artists and domain experts. This work-in-progress highlights both the potential and the limitations of current 3D/XR preservation efforts and contributes a replicable model for cultural heritage practitioners working with similarly layered digital projects.

Heritage preservation in Aotearoa, New Zealand, is becoming increasingly vulnerable due to the growing impacts of natural and human-induced disasters often attributed to climate change. Despite mounting risks and irreversible losses, progress in addressing these challenges has been limited. This research draws on insights from three focus group discussions held as part of the ongoing project Digitalisation of Heritage in New Zealand, involving 16 professionals from industry, academia, community, and government sectors. The discussions explored the role of digital technologies in the documentation and preservation of built architectural heritage. Participants reflected on the opportunities and limitations of using digital tools, the challenge of storing data, maintaining authenticity in digital representations, and the value of integrating digital practices into heritage workflows. The findings underscore the potential of digitalisation not only as a method for preservation but also as a means of celebrating and safeguarding heritage for future generations. This paper contributes to ongoing discourse in the field, offering practical recommendations and inviting further dialogue with digital practitioners to refine and strengthen data collection approaches to heritage conservation.

In 2019, Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga Archives New Zealand and Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa National Library of New Zealand began planning the design and build of a new shared Digital Preservation Lab for the two organisations. The Digital Preservation Lab would be part of a major capital works project to build a new purpose-built Archives building due for completion in late 2025. It was essential to understand each other’s workflows and equipment needs and co-design to the space to ensure that the Digital Preservation Lab would meet the needs of both organisations and their digital preservation and digital archiving teams.
This paper will trace the journey spanning over half a decade to envision and plan the Digital Preservation Lab for Archives and the National Library and the decision-making process behind it. It will also detail the equipment chosen, and the setup for the facility as a potential model for other institutions to use.