Article: "An Overview of Web Archiving"

Title

An Overview of Web Archiving

Author

Jinfang Niu
University of South Florida

Source

D-Lib Magazine (March/April 2012)
Volume 18, Number 3/4

Abstract

This overview is a study of the methods used at a variety of universities, and international government libraries and archives, to select, acquire, describe and access web resources for their archives. Creating a web archive presents many challenges, and library and information schools should ensure that instruction in web archiving methods and skills is made part of their curricula, to help future practitioners meet those challenges. In preparation for developing a web archiving course, the author conducted a comprehensive literature review. The findings are reported in this paper, along with the author’s views on some of the methods in use, such as how traditional archive management concepts and theories can be applied to the organization and description of archived web resources.

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Also Appearing in D-Lib Magazine by Jinfang Niu
“Functionalities of Web Archives”

Abstract

The functionalities that are important to the users of web archives range from basic searching and browsing to advanced personalized and customized services, data mining, and website reconstruction. The author examined ten of the most established English language web archives to determine which functionalities each of the archives supported, and how they compared. A functionality checklist was designed, based on use cases created by the International Internet Preservation Consortium (IIPC), and the findings of two related user studies. The functionality review was conducted, along with a comprehensive literature review of web archiving methods, in preparation for the development of a web archiving course for Library and Information School students. This paper describes the functionalities used in the checklist, the extent to which those functionalities are implemented by the various archives, and discusses the author’s findings.

Filed under: Archives and Special Collections, Data Files, Government Libraries, Journal Articles, Libraries, Management and Leadership, News, Patrons and Users, Preservation