Preliminary notes on Covid-19 digital archiving

Abstract

The social isolation provoked by the Covid-19 pandemic increased the daily presence of digital media, on a global scale. To react to the unexpected and tragic event of the novel coronavirus, a variety of digital archiving initiatives have come forth to record experiences during the pandemic. These projects have used techniques and concepts that already existed. However, for the first time, similar initiatives around the world responded to a unique disruptive event. Understanding the theoretical problems of digital archiving is a challenge that historiography must answer. This article argues that digital archives on the pandemic presents an ideal opportunity to look at these problems from a comparative and global standpoint. By discussing the theoretical dimension of the “digital archive” category and contemplating a sample of Covid-19 archives around the world, introductory notes are elaborated on the matter, suggesting research possibilities to humanists interested on this topic.