Digital Cultural Heritage and Social Sustainability

Abstract

This research investigated factors that were perceived to contribute to the social sustainability of cultural heritage information services. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with sixteen users, guided by three broad questions:

1. Which factors they consider are important for DCH services to be socially sustainable or to achieve social sustainability?

2. What indicators they perceive from current DCH services that suggest social sustainability?

3. What they believe to be the main challenges for DCH services to achieve or maintain social sustainability?

Social sustainability of DCH information services was associated with: strategy and policy, advocacy and community engagement, equity, cultural sensitivity and literacy, assessment and evaluation.