The disposal of paper public documents in the face of their digitization: what is lost?

Documents serve as records of humanity's activities and are continuously generated. To fulfill their primary purpose effectively, these records require specific care and treatment. Some documents, due to their cultural and historical significance, are preserved for centuries, whether in physical form, digital format, or both. However, maintaining these documents entails financial costs. This study investigates the feasibility of discarding permanent physical documents following digitization, considering legal, social, and economic factors. An analysis was conducted regarding the legal and economic implications of destroying physical documents from permanent public archives after digitization. The findings reveal that while some countries allow for the reassessment and disposal of digitized permanent archive documents, this option is not available under Brazilian legislation. Consequently, duplicate management of permanent public archive documents occurs. Possible causes for this duplicate management are discussed, along with potential solutions. In economic terms, the estimated monthly cost of digitized permanent archives occupies a substantial portion of resources, with Brazilian courts alone spending close to R$ 0.5 million.