The National Library of Ireland (NLI) has issued a call to members of the public to nominate 10 websites they believe best record Irish life in 2016 and remember the events of 1916.
Remembering 1916, Recording 2016 is the NLI’s largest Web archiving project to date and is part of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme. The project is part of NLI 2016, the commemorative programme in the National Library, and is supported by the Dept of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs.
The NLI has been carrying out selective and thematic Web archiving since 2011, aimed at ensuring a permanent record is kept of websites of cultural and historical importance.
“With this public call we are asking everyone to think about the best Irish websites of 2016, because websites are an increasingly important source of information today. We want everyone to vote so that we can archive these modern Irish memories for now and for future generations to share,” said Dr Sandra Collins, director of the NLI.
“In 2016 we embarked on our most ambitious Web archiving programme, capturing over 600 websites in total, which will all be openly accessible online, to anywhere in the world. This is an important part of our collecting programme, where we capture the contemporary memory of our country. Nowadays much of the story of Ireland is created in digital format and it is our role to collect Ireland’s contemporary culture in the many different forms it takes. We are collecting 2016 materials from across the country and now we are asking the public to help us with the Remembering 1916, Recording 2016 national Web archive collection.”
Nominations close on 28 November, after which an independent assessor will verify the decision making. An awards ceremony will take place in December to announce the 10 websites independently nominated by members of the public.
Once the top 10 sites have been identified and selected, the NLI will contact the owners and, working with the Internet Memory Foundation, the sites will be captured and preserved.
“From 14th century Gaelic manuscripts to 21st century websites and the papers of Yeats and Joyce, to the works of contemporary Irish writers, the NLI is the repository of Ireland’s national written heritage,” said Dr Collins. “It is also the guardian of personal histories in the form of vast archives of letters, photographs and diaries, and family history sources such as the Roman Catholic parish registers. Our holdings constitute the most comprehensive collection of Irish documentary material in the world.
“Nowadays so much information is created and shared online, it can be challenging to ensure permanent records of cultural and historical significance are kept. Relevant websites can quickly disappear in the aftermath of events. To ensure we are collecting and preserving a broad representation of our contemporary culture and heritage, it is essential that the national collections comprise not just paper-based materials, but digital collections as well.
Websites can be nominated at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8CCV93P.
TechCentral Reporters
Subscribers 0
Fans 0
Followers 0
Followers