Capture All the URLs: First Steps in Web Archiving

Authors

  • Alexis Antracoli Drexel University
  • Steven Duckworth National Park Service
  • Judith Silva Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
  • Kristen Yarmey University of Scranton Weinberg Memorial Library

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/palrap.2014.67

Abstract

As higher education embraces new technologies, university activities—including teaching, learning, and research—increasingly take place on university websites, on university-related social media pages, and elsewhere on the open Web. Despite perceptions that “once it’s on the Web, it’s there forever,” this dynamic digital content is highly vulnerable to degradation and loss. In order to preserve and provide enduring access to this complex body of university records, archivists and librarians must rise to the challenge of Web archiving. As digital archivists at our respective institutions, the authors introduce the concept of Web archiving and articulate its importance in higher education. We provide our institutions’ rationale for selecting subscription service Archive-It as a preservation tool, outline the progress of our institutional Web archiving initiatives, and share lessons learned, from unexpected stumbling blocks to strategies for raising funds and support from campus stakeholders.

Author Biographies

Alexis Antracoli, Drexel University

Alexis Antracoli, Records Management Archivist, leads the Drexel Libraries records management initiative and creates solutions for acquiring, processing, and preserving electronic records. She works closely with University records creators to help them design and implement solutions for managing records and complying with Drexel’s Records Retention Policy.  Before arriving at Drexel, Alexis worked at the University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library in both the University Archives and Michigan Historical Collections divisions.

Steven Duckworth, National Park Service

Steven Duckworth served as Records Management Intern at Drexel University, where he earned an MSLIS with a concentration in Archival Studies. He recently began a new position as Archivist with the National Park Service in Anchorage, Alaska.

Judith Silva, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Judy Silva is the Fine & Performing Arts Librarian and Archivist at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. Her bachelor’s degree in Art History is from the University of California, Santa Cruz and she holds an MLIS from the University of Pittsburgh.

Kristen Yarmey, University of Scranton Weinberg Memorial Library

Kristen Yarmey is an Associate Professor and Digital Services Librarian at the University of Scranton Weinberg Memorial Library in Scranton, Pennsylvania. She holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry from the Pennsylvania State University, a master's degree in library science from the University of Maryland, and master of arts degree in history from the University of Scranton.

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Published

2014-11-12

Issue

Section

Practice