National Library of New Zealand Web Archive

National Library of New Zealand Web Archive
Name	National Library of New Zealand Web Archive
Established	2008
Location	Wellington, New Zealand
Type	Web archive

National Library of New Zealand Web Archive is a curated collection preserving New Zealand–related web content for posterity, created and maintained by the National Library of New Zealand. It documents online manifestations of New Zealand public life including official sites, cultural organizations, media outlets, and personal publishing, complementing collections held by institutions such as the Alexander Turnbull Library and regional libraries like Auckland Libraries. The archive supports research by users from institutions including the University of Auckland, Victoria University of Wellington, Massey University, and international partners like the Library of Congress and the British Library.

History

The Web Archive emerged amid early twenty‑first century initiatives including national efforts by the National Library of Australia, the Internet Archive, and projects at the Bibliothèque nationale de France to preserve born‑digital heritage. Initial policy work involved comparisons with mandates under the National Library of New Zealand (Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa) Act 2003 and consultation with stakeholders such as the New Zealand Parliament, Archives New Zealand, and the Department of Internal Affairs (New Zealand). Pilot harvesting paralleled activities at the Wellcome Library and the British Library Web Archiving Programme, influenced by tools developed by the International Internet Preservation Consortium and standards promoted by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.

Scope and Content

Collections emphasize New Zealand topicality including sites associated with the Ngāi Tahu, Te Puni Kōkiri, Toi Māori Aotearoa, and cultural institutions like the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. The archive gathers web content from media outlets such as The New Zealand Herald, Stuff (New Zealand company), and Radio New Zealand, alongside political material from New Zealand Parliament members, campaign sites tied to elections like the 2017 New Zealand general election and the 2020 New Zealand general election, and NGO publications from groups such as Forest & Bird and Greenpeace Aotearoa. It preserves university web pages from University of Otago, University of Canterbury, and research centres including the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, as well as ephemeral event pages for festivals like the Wellington Jazz Festival and the Auckland Arts Festival.

Collection Development and Selection Policy

Selection integrates legal deposit principles under the National Library of New Zealand (Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa) Act 2003 and curatorial criteria used by institutions like the Alexander Turnbull Library. Prioritization frameworks consider provenance from archives such as Archives New Zealand and thematic priorities aligned with partners including the National Māori Language Strategy initiatives and the Ministry for Culture and Heritage. The policy balances preservation of commercial media outlets like Newshub with community sites from iwi organisations such as Ngāpuhi and arts collectives linked to venues like Q Theatre, ensuring representation comparable to collections at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and international analogues like the Canadian Web Archive.

Harvesting and Technical Infrastructure

Harvesting employs tools and protocols seen in systems used by the Internet Archive and the British Library, relying on web crawlers compatible with Heritrix and formats such as WARC. Infrastructure integrates servers hosted in collaboration with New Zealand Crown entities including the Department of Internal Affairs (New Zealand) and research networks like the Auckland University of Technology. Technical stewardship follows guidance from the International Internet Preservation Consortium and uses metadata standards related to the Dublin Core and identifiers interoperable with aggregators like DigitalNZ and platforms used by the Europeana network.

Access and Discovery

Discovery channels include the National Library catalogue and aggregators such as DigitalNZ and cooperative displays with the Alexander Turnbull Library. Access arrangements reflect legal deposit constraints and rights management similar to those at the Library and Archives Canada and the National Library of Australia, enabling onsite access at reading rooms in Wellington and remote access for partner researchers at institutions like Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. Web archive records are indexed for search and linked to related holdings including manuscripts by figures such as Edmund Hillary and publications by organisations like Federated Farmers.

Legal and Copyright Issues

Legal deposit and copyright frameworks intersect with statutes comparable to the Copyright Act 1994 (New Zealand) and obligations under the National Library of New Zealand (Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa) Act 2003, requiring negotiation with rights holders including media companies like NZME and individual creators such as authors represented by organisations like the New Zealand Society of Authors. Restrictions mirror solutions adopted by the British Library and the Library of Congress for in‑copyright materials, involving takedown procedures, access limitations, and licensing arrangements with cultural bodies including Creative New Zealand.

Collaborative Projects and Partnerships

The archive partners with national and international bodies such as Archives New Zealand, the Alexander Turnbull Library, DigitalNZ, and research networks at the University of Canterbury and Massey University. Collaborative initiatives have included joint harvests with the Internet Archive, metadata exchange with Europeana, and participation in research with organisations like the National Library of Australia and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. Project work also engages iwi and hapū partners including Ngāti Porou and Ngāti Kahungunu for culturally appropriate stewardship, and cultural institutions such as the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa for exhibitions and outreach.

Category:Archives in New Zealand Category:Web archiving