A Vault for the Ages: Synthetic DNA Data Storage and the Library of Congress Use Case

Libraries and archives have well-developed expectations and practices for storing and using data. The Library of Congress has long supported and led the development of standards and collaborative efforts for preservation and access. Additionally, the Library’s own collections are both vast and irreplaceable. This chapter explores how synthetic DNA technology might be used for cold storage of library and archival data, including parts of the Library’s significant corpus. Because of library and archival commitments to rigorous standards and diligent preservation, the use of synthetic DNA data storage technology must consider the full life cycle of digital preservation and concerns such as disposal and migration. Adopting synthetic DNA data storage for either short- or long-term digital preservation of library and archival data would require understanding the unique benefits of this technology and addressing several clear challenges. The authors discuss where DNA data storage might fit within current best practice storage methods and expectations and propose areas where further research is needed before adopting this emerging technology in the library and archival context.