Digital Heritage as Collaborative Process

Abstract

This paper examines the importance of the process of collaboration and community engagement in developing and applying digital heritage resources. It draws on case studies from the authors’ experiences building partnerships between a university’s anthropology undergraduate program and a provincial museum to teach community-engaged applied digital heritage. The process of creating and using digital technologies in heritage environments were transformative for not only students but also professional archaeologists and communities, highlighting the meaningful engagement and understandings that are developed through collaborative making. However, it also highlighted the challenges facing these types of collaborations, including academic and heritage structures, digital preservation/management, and ethics and inclusivity in digitization projects.