TLDR
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The US Library of Congress lists SQLite as a recommended storage format for datasets, alongside XML, JSON, and CSV.
Key Takeaways
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LoC recommended formats are chosen to maximize long-term survival and accessibility of digital content.
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Criteria include disclosure, adoption, transparency, self-documentation, external dependencies, patent impact, and technical protection mechanisms.
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SQLite scores well on all criteria: fully documented, widely adopted, no patents, no encryption required, and largely self-documenting.
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As of the source writing (2018), only four formats hold this designation: SQLite, XML, JSON, and CSV.
Hacker News Comment Review
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Commenters noted a real enterprise risk: SQLite databases look like ordinary files, making it easy for PII to be copied across servers undetected.
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The counter-argument raised is that Excel spreadsheets cause the same shadow-database problem, making blanket SQLite bans inconsistent policy.
Notable Comments
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@srcreigh: Points to the 2026 LoC recommended formats page, implying the list may have changed since the 2018 source text.
Original | Discuss on HN
