Preservation of internet resources : international initiatives and the New Zealand situation

Abstract

Traditionally society has looked towards libraries and archives to preserve evidence of our culture and knowledge, however the growing amount of information published on the Internet and the mutable nature of the Internet itself, raises the issue of preservation. Are Internet resources worthy of preservation being preserved or instead are they disappearing before this can happen? This essay examines fundamental issues of preservation - why preservation should take place and who should take responsibility for it. Specific issues involved in the preservation of Internet resources are investigated and selected international initiatives are examined to ascertain how these issues are being resolved. An examination of what is happening in New Zealand is undertaken and reveals that this country is conspicuous by an absence of domestic literature on this subject and a lack of active initiatives. Elements of the New Zealand environment are explored to see if they can be linked in a causal way to this absence. While some unique elements of the New Zealand environment can be identified, no single factor could be held responsible, instead the particular combination of factors was identified as the reason.