National Archives to launch breakthrough digital project

The National Archives will next year launch the first-ever digital initiative in the region to archive, preserve and classify websites and social media accounts of UAE government bodies.

Dr. Abdulla El Reyes, Director-General of the National Archives, said the vital multi-phase project constitutes an important part of the UAE's rich, valuable memory.

'By launching this project, the UAE will be among the first countries in the world after the National Archives and Records Administration of the US and the Library and Archives of Canada, to document and preserve millions of items of e-data,' he said, adding that the project is of significant importance given the wide use and appeal of these platforms by decision-makers as well as the rapid increase in these accounts, tweets and e-messages.

'The National Archives has compiled a list of the most important official sites, social media accounts of government departments and senior officials. Information and data issued by these authorities are considered national documents whose historic significance become more valuable by time,' Dr. El Reyes said.

As part of the ambitious archival project, he went on to say, the National Archives will dedicate an e-portal on its website through which researchers can use the web crawling technique to access the data.

The challenge, he noted, will be how to determine the important information as these websites are overstuffed and bloated with un-indexed materials.
Source: WAM