Passing Down Local Memories: Generativity and Photo Donations in Preservation Institutions

Digital preservation inherently involves multigenerational projects, necessitating consideration of intergenerational justice. However, there have been few discussions about this topic in the field of digital preservation. This study aimed to lay the groundwork for future theoretical research by investigating the concept of generativity proposed by Erikson. It specifically investigates the factors that influence individuals’ willingness to donate personal photographs to preservation institutions, with a particular focus on generativity. The results indicate that, while shared and loss experiences have a greater influence, generativity also has a significant impact on individuals’ attitudes towards photo donation. The results suggest that an intergenerational perspective is indeed applicable and valuable for digital preservation.