Preserving Our Digital Heritage: Experiences from the Pelikonepeijoonit Project

Pelikonepeijoonit is a private Finnish computer and games console museum. Similar to most hobbyist collections, the first items were acquired out of personal reasons. During its eight years, the collection has grown significantly and started to shift towards a digital heritage preservation project. In this paper, we present the history of Pelikonepeijoonit, coupled with observations made throughout the years. A supporting study was also conducted among the Finnish game/computer collector community to gain additional points of view and validate the personal observations. The results of this study are presented in relation to digital heritage to link the two practices, the collector circles and the cultural heritage. Finally, we present some suggestions for further work based on the current and future challenges of the field.