Articles

Midwest State Archives on the Web: A Content and Impact Analysis

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Abstract

Since the early days of the World Wide Web, archival institutions have embraced networked technologies to serve a variety of functions, including education and publicity, as well as to communicate information about their holdings and services. Although the degree to which archives utilize the Web varies by type of repository, many archives have at least published a homepage announcing their existence. This article examines the Web presence of 12 historical societies and state archives in the region covered by the Midwest Archives Conference (MAC). We analyzed the Web sites according to the degree to which they have embraced best practices in Web design and information architecture as well as how this design affects the overall visibility of these Web sites. In this analysis, we demonstrate how these best practices are based on principles from cognitive psychology and assist people in such tasks as learning and remembering, thus enhancing their Web experiences. By using this approach, we provide a template for archival institutions and manuscript repositories to examine the design, functionality, and visibility of their own Web presences.

How to Cite:

Yakel, E. & Kim, J., (2003) “Midwest State Archives on the Web: A Content and Impact Analysis”, Archival Issues 28(1), 47–62. doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/archivalissues.10924