Echoes of the Past: Understanding Cultural Heritage Digitalisation through an Imprinting Perspective
Paper Type
Short
Paper Number
PACIS2026-2011
Description
Digital technologies are increasingly used in cultural heritage preservation. However, existing information systems research has largely focused on technological capabilities and outcomes, providing limited insights into how heritage organisations engage with digital technologies in preservation practices, particularly given their mission to preserve the past and their often cautious approach to technological adoption. Drawing on organisational imprinting theory, this research-in-progress examines the digitalisation of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Yungang Grottoes. Our preliminary analysis suggests that historically developed preservation logics and values shape how digital technologies are introduced and integrated into preservation activities over time. Specifically, technologies are absorbed under preservation requirements, negotiated with site conditions, and configured into a digital ecosystem supporting preservation activities. We tentatively describe this dynamic condition as colloidal imprinting, in which new technological elements interact with existing preservation norms while the underlying preservation logic remains relatively stable. This preliminary conceptualisation will be further explored in future research.
Recommended Citation
Zhang, Xinyue; Du Wenyu, Derek; Pan, Shan; and Ghorbani, Majid, "Echoes of the Past: Understanding Cultural Heritage Digitalisation through an Imprinting Perspective" (2026). PACIS 2026 Proceedings. 15.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/pacis2026/di_entren/di_entren/15
Echoes of the Past: Understanding Cultural Heritage Digitalisation through an Imprinting Perspective
Digital technologies are increasingly used in cultural heritage preservation. However, existing information systems research has largely focused on technological capabilities and outcomes, providing limited insights into how heritage organisations engage with digital technologies in preservation practices, particularly given their mission to preserve the past and their often cautious approach to technological adoption. Drawing on organisational imprinting theory, this research-in-progress examines the digitalisation of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Yungang Grottoes. Our preliminary analysis suggests that historically developed preservation logics and values shape how digital technologies are introduced and integrated into preservation activities over time. Specifically, technologies are absorbed under preservation requirements, negotiated with site conditions, and configured into a digital ecosystem supporting preservation activities. We tentatively describe this dynamic condition as colloidal imprinting, in which new technological elements interact with existing preservation norms while the underlying preservation logic remains relatively stable. This preliminary conceptualisation will be further explored in future research.
Comments
09-Transformation