The term
born-digital refers to materials that originate in a
digital form. This is in contrast to
digital reformatting, through which
analog materials become
digital. It is most often used in relation to
digital libraries and the issues that go along with said organizations, such as
digital preservation and
intellectual property. However, as technologies have advanced and spread, the concept of being born-digital has also been discussed in relation to personal consumer-based sectors, with the rise of
e-books and evolving digital music. Other terms that might be encountered as synonymous include “natively digital,” “digital-first,” and “digital-exclusive.”