Overview

The Bentley has been using archival practices to identify, appraise, and select websites that reflect the mission and collecting interests of the university archives since 2010. When selecting websites for inclusion in the University of Michigan Web Archives collection, the Bentley seeks websites that fulfill multiple criteria.

For more information, review Best Practices and Records Management Strategies for Web Preservation, presented at Enriching Scholarship 2019, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 2019.

• Websites are created, owned, or used by university units, faculty, or students in carrying out university-related business, functions, or activities.
• Websites reflect basic functions or activities associated with the university administration, teaching, research, service, student life, and athletic competitions.
• Websites complement existing record groups and manuscript collections.
• Websites fill gaps in collections.
• Websites contain unique and meaningful content that is periodically updated.

Archived versions of websites may appear to be incomplete at times. Certain types of content present significant issues for preserving the complete form, functionality, and content of sites. Examples include:

• Linked content that is stored on different domains or subdomains
• Dynamic scripts or applications such as JavaScript or Adobe Flash
• Streaming media players with video or audio content
• Password protected material
• Forms or database-driven content that requires interaction with the site