Libraries Develop New Archiving Application

Working under the auspices of the International Internet Preservation Consortium, the National Library of New Zealand and the British Library have developed a Web curator tool to archive online content. Because Web pages change constantly, efforts to preserve important online material present complex challenges for gathering and preserving that content. The new tool automates the process of harvesting online content and storing it. Stephen Green, Web archiving program manager at the British Library, said the tool would initially be focused on sites deemed important to British culture, such as those of political parties and about the London bombings of July 7. By the end of the year, the Web curator tool will be offered as an open source application to other organizations.

BBC, 26 September 2006