Collecting the online record together

The collection and preservation of Ireland’s published and creative output is fundamental to the “principal functions” of the NLI as set out in the National Cultural Institutions Act 1997: “conserve, restore, maintain and enlarge the library material in the collection of the Library for the benefit of the public and to establish and maintain a record of library material (including material relating to the Irish language) in relation to Ireland”. The National Library of Ireland (NLI) has embraced web archiving as a core strategy for safeguarding Ireland’s digital cultural record. The Web Archives Section of the NLI’s Digital Collections has a role to play in relation to the portion of this material which is made available online. We work towards this in several ways: Developing thematic and event-based collections as part of a Selective Web Archiving process. Working towards a future to systematically collect and preserve web content of Irish interest (e.g. crawling content available under the .ie domain). Working with specific partner institutions and organisations who nominate websites for inclusion. In an era where social, political, and creative expression occurs online, preserving this dynamic content requires more than technical solutions, it demands collaboration with the communities that create and curate it. This poster outlines the NLI’s evolving approach to co-operation with these partner institutions as part of its Web Archiving programme, highlighting how participatory models enhance both the scope and value of the national web archive. Recognising that collaboration better enables us to capture the diversity of Ireland’s online presence, the NLI has developed partnerships with creators, community groups, researchers, and cultural organisations to identify, nominate, and contextualise web resources. These collaborations ensure that distinctive voices and cultural practices, often overlooked by traditional collection strategies are represented in the archive. The poster will showcase specific examples of successful collaborations, where bodies such as the Irish Traditional Music Archive (ITMA), the 100 Archive, and the Irish Community Archive Network (ICAN) all select and nominate websites to be collected and preserved so future generations can access today’s record.