UK Web Archive programme: a brief history of opportunities and challenges

Abstract

Webpages have been playing a key role in the creation and dissemination of information in recent decades. However, given their ephemeral nature, many Web pages published on the World Wide Web have had their content changed or have been permanently deleted without leaving any trace of their existence. In order to avoid the loss of this important material that represents our contemporary cultural heritage, various institutions have launched programmes to harvest and archive Web pages registered in specific national domains . Based on the example of development of the Web archive program in the UK, this article raises some key questions in relation to the technological obstacles and curatorial models adopted for the preservation and access to the content published on the Web.