The AWV Working Group

The Working Group "Web Archives" tries to give recommendations for action and answers to various questions on archiving web content and to companies as well as private and public institutions. The problem can be illustrated by the fact that it is rather simple to modify and edit the content of online publications. Such modifications and changes are difficult to prevent or detect without additional tools, allowing no conclusions on the "original". The issues raised with regard to archiving go far beyond this range. There is the question of the future of documentary proof, hence the embodiment of declarations of intent. This means a turning point in the common practice for contracts. Offer and acceptance used to be documented unchangeable on paper to a sufficient degree of certainty (also forgeries were possible).

Furthermore, the dynamic development of web content (YouTube, Facebook, etc.) is a special challenge for archiving information and documents from the Internet. In addition, established international standards for archiving web content must be considered.

In 2014, the Working Group drew up texts as a basis for its own website to provide insight into the topic to interested parties. Topics such as data acquisition, indexing, provision of data, long-term preservation, copyright issues, metadata, software and archives have been made available.

Members of the Working Group

The Working Group comprises representatives of the political foundations, of interested companies and the German National Library. Its main task is the preservation of online publications (websites) as "documents" for future generations. The following questions arise: How to ensure that digital data cannot be modified or edited or how must they be modified to be archived in the original version? What does an online publication include, only the contents of a website or the links to other websites and thus their contents? Participation in the Working Group is open to everyone interested.