Archive-It

March 1st, 2022

by the Community Programs Team

In December of 2021, the Community Webs program team sent a Feedback and Engagement Survey to all Community Webs members. Community Webs, an initiative of Archive-It and the Internet Archive, advances the capacity for public libraries and other community-focused memory institutions to build web and digital archives documenting local history and voices that have been underrepresented in the historic record. Members of the program receive free access to Archive-It, as well as technical support, training in topics related to web and digital archiving, access to a community of organizations doing similar work, and resources to support scholarly research use.

The survey solicited feedback on all aspects of Community Webs and is intended to help staff  develop and improve the program offering. It also allowed members to express interest in some of the program’s engagement initiatives, including peer mentorship, blogging, conference presentations, and Community Webs event participation.

Overall, the feedback we received about the program was very positive. Our members see Community Webs as a valuable learning and professional development opportunity and are highly engaged with program-related activities. As one respondent stated, “I knew very little about web archiving before joining Community Webs, and feel like a massive gap in my professional knowledge has been narrowed!” All respondents to the survey reported engaging in at least one program-related activity and the majority (65%) have participated in three or more, the most common being attending live training sessions, working through the Community Webs training modules and videos, and building collections in Archive-It.

Most significant to us were the responses that addressed the core mission of the program. According to a number of respondents, Community Webs allows their organization to develop a web archiving program when it otherwise would have been difficult or impossible to do so. Members also noted that Community Webs enables them to capture a vital part of their community’s heritage and that it has bolstered their understanding of the significance of digital preservation. At the highest level, some members reported that Community Webs has prompted reflection on community-based collecting and inclusion. As one respondent noted, “This program has me thinking of the importance of preservation in deeper, more profound ways. I have asked bigger questions about community engagement, especially through the lens of inclusion, ownership, whose stories get told and how.” 

Respondents also shared valuable feedback about ways we could improve the program. In response, we are implementing new elements to ensure our members get the most out of Community Webs. These include: broadening the program to include types of digital collecting beyond web archiving; developing new modules and live sessions on digital preservation, uses of web archives, and social media; piloting drop-in working sessions to facilitate direct check-ins and connect members; improving our communications methods and cadence; and more. As the pandemic subsides, we also look forward to hosting in-person events in the US and Canada. Building community among our participants is a vital part of the program. We hope to continue nurturing this aspect of Community Webs through both virtual and face-to-face encounters.

Our sincere thanks go out to all who completed the survey. Your responses go a long way toward helping us build a program that works for everyone. Thank you as well to all our Community Webs members. Your work preserving community histories is vital to the development of a more diverse and inclusive historic record.

To read the full report and access the original survey, please see here.