First, it is important to know what it is that you’re archiving. It may be a single news article, a handful of YouTube videos, or a personal blog hosted on WordPress. Here are some examples (and non-examples) of the types of content covered in this guide. If you’re still unsure, it’s a safe bet to assume it’s a dynamic website (or at least the tools that are geared towards capturing dynamic sites will be most versatile).
| Use Case | Is | Is NOT |
|---|---|---|
| Publication or Article |
An article or publication on the web that you want to reliably cite in the future:
|
An entire scholarly database or news outlet site. Non-examples include:
|
| Static Website |
A “simple” site with fixed content. Look for simple URLs with .html or .htm extensions and no user-specific interactions or real-time updates. Examples include:
|
A site with user-specific interactions or real-time updates (see Dynamic Website). Non-examples include:
|
|
Dynamic Website (This distinction between static vs. dynamic sites is important because some tools use Brozzler, a technology that is meant to capture more complex sites/elements as described above) |
A site with user-specific interactions or real-time updates. Examples include:
|
A super large dynamic site that is likely out of scope for many web crawling technologies. Non-examples include:
|
| Social Media Post/Video |
A single post or fixed group of posts on a social media site. Examples include:
|
The entire social media site. Non-examples include:
|
If you're planning to archive and share content, it's important to understand the legal and ethical considerations involved. The Library Copyright Office offers valuable guidance on copyright and fair use. For an overview, consult the Copyright Basics research guide.
Archiving social media can become complex quickly. If you're preserving a specific post, consider whether the original creator is able to give you, the archivist, informed consent. More broadly, ask yourself: Is the content you're archiving created by or for historically marginalized communities? Could redistributing this material potentially cause harm to individuals or communities?
Whatever you're archiving, we strongly encourage you to pause and read Documenting the Now’s Ethics White Paper before moving forward.