Assessing the loss of Western Canadian digital heritage

Abstract

In 2003, UNESCO recognized the volatility of our heritage on the web. In response, many Canadian institutions rose to the challenge to preserve our digital heritage. This study examines web archives created by the University of Alberta Libraries relevant to Western Canadian heritage. We examine these collections in order to (1) assess their degree of link rot (which occurs when a website is no longer online) and (2) to determine how extensively these websites have been preserved.