Close All Tabs Bonus: A Big Win for the Internet Archive
Jul 28, 2025
Brewster Kahle, founder and director of The Internet Archive, passionately discusses the organization’s recent achievement in becoming a federal depository library. He explores what this status means for public access to government documents amid ongoing legal challenges. Kahle emphasizes the significance of preserving information in the digital age and highlights the Archive's role in making vast amounts of knowledge accessible to everyone. He also addresses the ongoing criticism of the Archive and its practices, advocating for transparency in digital libraries.
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Role of Federal Depository Libraries
- Federal depository libraries ensure public access to government information through widespread physical and digital collections.
- The program has evolved from physical documents to digital formats accessible online at any time.
Internet Archive’s Role in Digitization
- The Internet Archive helps other libraries digitize and host government documents more efficiently.
- Its new federal depository status facilitates collaboration with over 1,100 libraries in the network.
Digital Era Libraries Evolving
- The Internet Archive represents the first truly digital library in the federal depository program.
- This signals a natural evolution as all libraries continue embracing digital methods for access and preservation.