Web archive – online future
Abstract
On 23–24 November 2021, a conference and workshop titled “404 Not Found – Who preserves the Internet?“ organized by the National Széchényi Library was inaugurated by Csaba Latorcai, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Human Resources. In his study he states that one of the most comprehensive local and global challenges facing 21st century societies is digital transition. The importance and cross-cutting nature of this process was experienced by everyone at the outbreak of the Covid19 pandemic, with an almost overnight shift to online education, teleworking, online shopping, remote administration and digital consumption of culture. Such a radical change in everyday life, as well as in social and economic processes, required the coexistence of several factors: an extensive broadband network, modern and accessible IT tools, advanced electronic services and an adequate level of digital literacy of citizens. The author reviews the national programs launched by the Government of Hungary since 2015, partly intended for the general public, partly for the field of long-term preservation of cultural goods including those born digitally. The legal environment established for creating the conditions of mass digitisation and the necessary financial background ensure the leading and coordinating role of the National Széchényi Library, which is appointed responsible for the task. Within the scope of its activity, the National Library also performs the legal tasks related to web archiving, with the independent Web Archiving Department, established in 2020, already operationally performing quarterly harvests of selected websites and semi-annual harvests of the webspace address list. The author also emphasises the importance of participating in the work of world organisations, as well as the role of domestic and regional cooperation, which is also crucial in terms of sustainability.
