Utilisation of Internet of Things technology for managing archives of public universities in South Africa

Abstract

Scholarly discussions have recently focused on how technology is used by university archives departments to manage historical data. The COVID-19 global pandemic pushed universities to reconsider how best to manage archival materials efficiently and ensure the academic community and the general public can easily view, preserve, and interact with these records. Several universities are currently using the Internet of Things (IoT) as a technology to manage preserved content efficiently. Nevertheless, managing historical or enduringly valuable records has not received enough attention in South African university archives when it comes to implementing IoT technology. This study aimed to investigate how IoT-based technologies are now being used in university archives to manage archived material. A systematic quantitative approach was used to analyse the current literature on the applications of IoT technologies in managing archival data in university archives. The study leveraged various databases, including Google Scholar, IEEE Xplore, Science Direct, MDPI, and Scopus. The researchers used these databases to collect the pertinent information. The research revealed that although several university archives acknowledge the importance of IoT technologies in managing archival data, only a few have adopted these technologies. This is mostly attributed to issues like insufficient information technology infrastructure, exorbitant system expenses, poor infrastructure, limited technical assistance, and a dearth of competence within university archives. Therefore, the elements presented considerable obstacles for the university's archives in acknowledging the benefits of adopting IoT technology for managing historical documents in their institutions. Information is necessary for university archives to effectively influence university policies and procedures that facilitate the preservation of university archival data. The research suggests that South African university archives should implement IoT technologies to improve their administration of historical materials. Diverse research and development initiatives on IoT technologies should be undertaken within university archives. This study addresses the shortage of knowledge within university archives on the capabilities of IoT technologies in administrating archival resources.