Web Science and Digital Libraries Research Group

  The Disintegration Loops:  Generational Loss in Web Archives Michael L. Nelson As part of the Internet Archive's Information Stewardship Forum (March 18–20, 2026), I decided to use my five minute lightning talk to raise the issue of generational loss in web archives.  Or more directly, making copies of copies (...of copies…) – something that web archives currently do not do well.  My title is based on William Basinski 's four volume release " The Disintegration Loops ", in which he played the audio tapes of "found sounds", recorded decades earlier, in loops , with the whole process lasting over an hour.  The effect is hauntingly beautiful, with each loop slightly degrading the magnetic tape, resulting in a generational loss.  The degradation of each loop is right on the edge of the just-noticeable difference , until the entire track is reduced to just a shadow of its former self. I first discussed this topic in my 2019 CNI closing keynote ( slide 88 ), w...