The WSU website is a source of current information, not a library or archive of past materials.

Keeping old information on the website is a burden to the user and can cause technical problems as well, including:

  • making the user sift through extensive amount of content to find what they are looking for
  • confusing the user with webpages, PDFs or other content pieces that have similar names
  • muddying search results due to multiple webpages or PDFs with similar names or content
  • slower page loading times -- particularly if a webpage contains many PDFs or images
  • increased complexity to maintain website content overall


Build Reputation through Past Examples

Sometimes it useful to keep old information as examples to help build reputation and credibility for a department or organization.


In these situations, the "archived" content should be used to provide a showcase or highlights that meet marketing and communication goals. MarComm will determine what information has significant value and will best resonate with audiences. 


These are some examples of stories that have marketing or informational value: 

  • Alumni stories about post-graduation outcomes and/or student experiences
  • Current student stories about their experiences
  • Capstone projects, research projects or other examples of student academic work
  • Major news announcements about students, faculty, staff, programs, or other activities


However, even these types of content will need to be revisited every year to make sure that the stories stay fresh. Recent experiences are typically more relevant and compelling than a story from years ago.


Think about how you consider reviews for a restaurant or a hotel. You probably give more weight to the reviews posted in the last month vs. reviews posted last year, let alone five years ago. This same logic applies to our feature stories on the website as well.


Options for an Online Archive


If a department or group wishes to make a true online archive, they will work with TLT or the Krueger Library staff to achieve this goal. Materials that are better housed long-term in an alternate platform include:

  • Meeting Minutes
  • Syllabi
  • Rosters of Graduating Classes
  • Newsletters