British Library Sets Out to Archive the Web

Capturing the unruly, ever-changing Internet is like trying to pin down a raging river.

But the British Library is going to try.

For centuries the library has kept a copy of every book, pamphlet, magazine and newspaper published in Britain. Starting Saturday, it will also be bound to record every British website, e-book, online newsletter and blog in a bid to preserve the nation’s “digital memory.”

As if that’s not a big enough task, the library also has to make this digital archive available to future researchers – come time, tide or technological change.