Inclusion for all: adopting digital technology for library user preservation education and awareness

Purpose This paper aims to provide an overview of, and highlight the opportunities, strategies and challenges associated with leveraging digital technology to create preservation education and awareness materials for library users, based on the final projects of a group of female Library and Information Science (LIS) students. This work highlights the potential benefits of digital technology and showcases innovation and insights into how libraries and other information centers such as galleries, archives and museums can use digital technology when preparing user preservation education and awareness materials. Design/methodology/approach This study applied a qualitative approach with a purposive sampling method. The data collection was conducted on a group of female students who adopted and used digital technology to complete a library user preservation education and awareness project as part of their coursework. This study discusses the stories, processes, challenges and strategies of these students. Findings High and digital technologies provide opportunities for innovation and support the creation of more interactive and inclusive preservation education and awareness materials for library users. This paper presents innovations of female LIS students using digital technology when completing their final project. This study identifies some opportunities and challenges in providing inclusive preservation education and awareness materials for library and archive users, based on the experiences of female LIS students. Originality/value While studies exist that discuss library user preservation education and awareness, there are none focusing on the experiences of female LIS students. This paper, therefore, offers a fresh and unique perspective on library user preservation education and awareness. This paper also supports inclusiveness and promotes social justice, elaborating female students’ experiences in adopting digital technology for their learning activities.