From the National Library of Ireland:
The National Library of Ireland (NLI) has announced the ten winning websites, chosen by the public, which they believe best record Irish life in 2016 and remember the events of 1916. The websites will be preserved in the NLI’s National Web Archive
‘Remembering 1916, Recording 2016’ is the NLI’s largest and most ambitious web archiving project to date, with over 600 websites archived this year which can be accessed openly online, anywhere in the world. The project is part of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme and NLI 2016, the commemorative programme in the National Library, supported by the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.
The websites chosen by the public range from exhibition-focused and commemorative websites to group blogs, national media outlets and online-only news publications, to satirical websites and independent, non- profit online outlets run by volunteers and local historical groups.
Announcing the winners, Dr Sandra Collins, Director of the NLI said: “We are thrilled to announce the ‘Remembering 1916, Recording 2016’ winning websites today and would like to thank people for voting and being involved in this community collection activity with the National Library of Ireland.
“Websites are a hugely important source of information today, with much of the story of Ireland now created in digital format. It’s crucial that we recognise the vulnerability of Irish heritage online and preserve the digital memory of Ireland. People selected these websites as a record of this momentous year and we are delighted that we can archive these modern Irish memories for now and future generations to share.
“Our commitment to innovation is one of the Library’s key priorities in our Strategy 2016-2021. The National Web Archive is an example of our leadership in the digital arena. Over the coming years, we will pilot new forms of digital collecting and use innovative approaches to presenting and sharing our digital collections with people across the world.”
Top ten websites chosen by public vote
The Web Archive Awards today represent those websites chosen by the public, which they believe best remember the events of 1916, and also those which best record Irish life in 2016.
The websites chosen by the public which they feel best remember 1916 are as follows:
- Westport/Cathair na Mart
- Century Ireland
- Galway: Decade of Commemoration
- Rotunda: Birth Of A Nation 1916
- Come Here To Me!
The websites chosen by the public which they feel best record life in Ireland in 2016 include:
- The Journal
- Waterford Whispers News
- Rabble
- Broadsheet
- The Irish Times
Working with its web-archiving partner, the Internet Memory Foundation, the NLI has now commenced the process of capturing and preserving the relevant websites.
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Direct to National Library of Ireland Web Archive
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