Challenges for Web Resource Preservation, Marieke Guy, UKOLN

UKOLN is supported by: What are the Barriers to Web Resource Preservation? Marieke Guy, UKOLN JISC-PoWR Workshop 27 th June 2008

The Preservation Challenge
Accessibility and authenticity
Preservation has never been easy
People tend to live in the now
Web resources present additional challenges
So lets look at the excuses…

It’s not a problem…
Digital resources do degrade
Operating systems are upgraded and existing applications cease to work
Resources may be dependent on or hosted by external resources which may disappear
Projects end
Links get broken
Loss of evidence of institutional activity which is nor recorded elsewhere
Danger of not doing anything

It’s not a priority….
We are all suffering from lack of time, expertise and money
Web services tend to focus on immediate business requirements such as informational requirements, support for staff and e-learning applications
Institutions often wait for others to take the lead
Web services are often not interested in preservation while Records Managers are concentrating on other digital resources

It’s not my responsibility…
Individual Approach
The author of the resource
Institutional Approach
The publisher of the resource
The institution, the institution’s Library
National Approach
The Academic Community, Archives, Museums, the Government
Consortiums e.g. UKWAC
International Approach
International Organisations e.g Internet Archive
Commercial companies

It’s complicated…
The Web is transient and dynamic
Web resource’s lifespan is short
Web publishing is a very easy process
Metadata is very much an afterthought.
There is a need to preserve objects, relationships and behaviour
There is a gap of understanding between Records Managers and Web services people
It’s difficult to know how to get started or what to do
Preservation requires a certain skill set

It’s technically complicated…
The Web is dependant on technology
Cardinality – One or many?
Web resources are usually held on just one server, so are at greater risk of removal
Areas of the Web are held in problematical CMS or behind authentication systems
Robots.txt file
Have standards or proprietary formats been used?
Has the technical architecture of the Web site been documented?
What about Software emulation?

It’s a difficult choice…
Selection can be difficult
What does a Web site entail?
Public vs private site
Instantiation/snapshot
Code, content or graphical look and feel of site
Full functionality
Preserving the the bits or the essence?
Is it worth preserving anyway?

It’s a legal minefield…
Many IPR issues: Copyright, database right, defamation, privacy, FOI
What about accessibility?
Is my Web site legal today?
Will my Web site be legal tomorrow, if new legislation is enacted?
Who owns the pages?
What about pages we don’t own?

And what about Web 2.0?
Use of 3 rd party services
Emphasis on collaboration and communication, rather than access to resources
More resources created by individuals
More complex IPR issues
Richer diversity of services: RSS, syndicated content
These are issues for another day!

And the quick answer is…
Need to encourage ownership and institutional responsibility
Change in culture
Making excuses won’t help
We are here to help!
More answers in Preservation of Web Resources Part II

Any Questions?

Challenges for Web Resource Preservation, Marieke Guy, UKOLN

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Challenges for Web Resource Preservation, Marieke Guy, UKOLN — Presentation Transcript