Web Continuity Project at The National Archives
Posted by Richard M. Davis on 11th June 2008
Ed and I were pleased to come across an interesting document, recently received from The National Archives, describing their Web Continuity Project. This is the latest of the many digital preservation initiatives undertaken by TNA/PRO, that began with EROS and NDAD in the mid 1990s, leading to the UK Government Web Archive and other recent digital preservation initiatives (many in conjunction with BL and the JISC).
The Web Continuity Project arises from a request by Jack Straw, as leader of the House of Commons in 2007, that government departments ensure continued access to online documents. Further research revealed that:
- Government departments are increasingly citing URLs in answer to Parliamentary Questions
- 60% of links in Hansard to UK government websites for the period 1997 to 2006 are now broken
- Departments vary considerably: for one, every link works; for another every link is broken. (TNA’s own website is not immune!)
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