Publication Date
2021
Abstract
In an effort to keep current with trends in how people connect with information, the University of Wyoming (UW), like many institutions and companies, has elected to become as paperless as possible. Whether electronic or analog, records are essential in documenting the history, culture, and governance of an organization, and records retention schedules in archives are commonly used to ensure vital records are kept and maintained according to best practices and state laws. Much like the speed goat—the fastest land animal in North America and found throughout Wyoming—websites are hard to capture before they disappear. The high possibility of vanishing online records makes implementing a records retention schedule particularly challenging in the ever-changing digital world. In order to capture vital records before they disappear, archivists must be proactive. The American Heritage Center (AHC) at UW has initiated a web-archiving project and created access points to these digital assets to capture permanent records of the University, promote these resources, and educate and empower donors about the importance of online records. This paper will discuss implementation of Archive-It to capture websites, strategies for increasing discoverability and accessibility to the archived websites, and tactics for positive and transparent donor relations.