Unlocking social media archives: creative responses to the challenge of access

Collecting institutions, particularly libraries, are increasingly seeking to incorporate social media content into their collections. However, platform APIs used to gather social media data bind libraries to a license agreement that governs the collection, distribution, and use of these data. These agreements, along with ethical and technical challenges, mean traditional pathways to access need to be reimagined. This paper presents the implications of this changing information environment for libraries, and how the State Library of New South Wales has used novel approaches—including data visualisation and curation—to advance responsible, sustainable, and engaging access to these increasingly important cultural artefacts.