Virtual Heaven

Where do medical web sites go when they die? Well, provided they have granted the Wellcome Library permission, we can ‘freeze’ them in the UK Web Archivewhere they can be forever young and accessible.

The Wellcome Library is currently busy digitizing the papers of Francis Crick but did you realise that we have also been contributing to the national attempt to preserve the web since 2004? Dave Thompson is a veteran of the campaign and key lynchpin in our partnership with British Library who host the UK Web Archive site. “Fascinating and not unproblematic to take on something of this magnitude but a crucial resource for the future” comments Dave, thinking of those historians who are currently only a twinkle in the eye.

Wellcome Library staff have now safely archived over 600 medical and health-related web sites. If you have a web site that you would like to see granted eternal digital life please use the UK Web site nomination form and it could wind up in virtual heaven.