We recently launched a new Beta interface for searching and browsing our web archive collections but what can you expect to find?

UKWA have been collecting websites since 2005 in a range of different ways, using changing software and hardware. This means that behind the scenes we can't bring all of the material collected into one place all at once. What isn't there currently will be added over the next six months (look out for notices on twitter). 

What is available now?

At launch on 5 December 2017 the Beta website includes all of the websites that have been 'frequently crawled' (collected more often than annually) 2013-2016. This includes a large number of 'Special Collections' selected over this time and a reasonable selection of news media.

What is coming soon?

We are aiming to add 'frequently crawled' websites from 2005-2013 to the Beta collection in January/February 2018. This will add our earliest special collections (e.g. 2005 UK General Election) and should complete all of the websites that we have permission to publicly display.

What will be available by summer 2018?

The largest and most difficult task for us is to add all of the websites that have been collected as part of the 'Legal Deposit' since 2013. We do a vast 'crawl' once per year of 'everything' that we can identify as being a UK website. This includes all .UK (and .london, .scot, .wales and .cymru) plus any website we identify as being on a server in the UK. This amounts to tens of millions of websites (and billions of individual assets). Due to the scale of this undertaking we thank you for your patience.

We would love to know your experiences of using the new Beta service, let us know here: www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ukwasurvey01

 By Jason Webber, Web Archive Engagement Manager, The British Library

 

The UK Web Archive has a new user interface! Try it now: 

beta.webarchive.org.uk/

What's new?

• For the first time you can search both the 'Open UK Web Archive'¹ and the 'Legal Deposit Web Archive'² from the same search box
• We have improved the search and have included faceting so that it's easier to find what you are looking for
• A simple, clean design that (hopefully) allows the content to be the focus
• Easily browsable 'Special Collections' (curated groups of websites on a theme, topic or event)

 What next?

This is just the start of what will be a series of improvements, but we need your help! Please use the beta site and tell us how it went (good, bad or meh) by filling in this short 2 minute survey:

www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ukwasurvey01

Thank you!

by Jason Webber, Web Archive Engagement Manager, The British Library

¹ The Open UK Web Archive was started in 2005 and comprises of approximately 15,000 websites that can be viewed anywhere

² The Legal Deposit Web Archive was started in 2013 and comprises millions of websites but these can only be viewed in the Reading Rooms of UK Legal Deposit Libraries