SQLite Is a Library of Congress Recommended Storage Format

The US Library of Congress officially designates SQLite as a Recommended Storage Format for datasets, joining only XML, JSON, and CSV as of 2018. SQLite's single-file, cross-platform, zero-dependency architecture scored well across LoC criteria including disclosure, transparency, self-documentation, and patent-free licensing. Data engineers and archivists building long-term preservation pipelines should prioritize SQLite over proprietary binary formats like HDF5 or Parquet where regulatory longevity matters. Unlike CSV, SQLite preserves schema, types, and relational structure while remaining directly inspectable without specialized tooling.