Web archiving is "the process of collecting, preserving, and providing enduring access to web content" (Society of American Archivists Dictionary of Archives Terminology). Websites are typically archived using automated bots called web crawlers and saved in WARC or WACZ file formats. These files may then be "replayed," or displayed in a web browser similar to a live website. While web archivists strive to preserve web content as fully as possible, certain content may be difficult or impossible to archive due to technical limitations or copyright or privacy concerns.

Some reasons to make or use web archives may be:

• Historical research
• Computational research
• A stable URL for citations
• Preserving your web presence or that of your office, department, or student group

The Vassar College Libraries and Vassar College Office of Communications have been archiving web content since 2015. We primarily archive sites related to the College, including the homepage, offices, and departments. Web archiving assistance is also available if needed for faculty or student research. Please contact the Digital Preservation Librarian (kgianfrancesco@vassar.edu) for more information.

Most Vassar College web archives are collected using Archive-It, a service from the Internet Archive.