Digital Preservation through Digital Sustainability

The concept of digital sustainability introduces a holistic approach on how to maximize the benefits of digital resources for our society. The nine basic conditions for digital sustainability also provide a contribution to potential solutions to the challenges of digital preservation. Elaborateness, transparent structures, semantic data, distributed location, an open licensing regime, shared tacit knowledge, participatory culture, good governance, and diversified funding support the long-term availability of digital knowledge. Therefore, in this conceptual paper, we explain the links between digital sustainability and digital preservation in order to increase the impact of both. We conclude by presenting the political agenda of the Swiss parliamentary group for digital sustainability.