Internet Archive to Receive 400,000 Dissertations from Leiden University

From https://www.library.universiteitleiden.nl/news/2024/10/he-internet-archive-takes-over-foreign-dissertations-from-ubl Last month, the UBL announced that it will deselect an extensive collection of foreign dissertations. We are happy to report now that The Internet Archive will be taking over this collection. The dissertations were originally part of an exchange programme between (mostly European) universities until the year 2004 but were never catalogued on arrival. As … Read more

Shortwave Radio: A Unique Collection from the Cold War Era

It was the mid-1980s, Chuck Vesei developed a fascination with shortwave radio. He used his portable radio to tune into shortwave broadcasts from around the globe. Because shortwave signals can travel farther than regular AM or FM broadcasts, Chuck heard voices and music from across continents. Listening to the far-flung signals, foreign languages, and different types … Read more

Vanishing Culture: Keeping the Receipts

The following guest post from editor and journalist Maria Bustillos is part of our Vanishing Culture series, highlighting the power and importance of preservation in our digital age. On August 13, 1961, the Sunday edition of The Honolulu Advertiser published its official Health Bureau Statistics (“Births, Marriages, Deaths”); on page B-6, in the leftmost column—just below the ads for … Read more

Aruba to Receive 2024 Internet Archive Hero Award for Groundbreaking Digital Heritage Initiatives

In a world where digital access to knowledge is increasingly vital, the island nation of Aruba has taken bold steps to ensure its cultural heritage is preserved and accessible for generations to come. We are thrilled to announce that Aruba will be honored with the 2024 Internet Archive Hero Award at our annual celebration on October 23 … Read more

Book Talk: Athena Unbound

Join CHRIS BOURG in conversation with author PETER BALDWIN about the history & promise of the open access movement. Watch recording: https://archive.org/embed/athena-unbound “In Athena Unbound, Peter Baldwin offers an admirably pragmatic yet principled approach to the perennial problem of encouraging both the production and distribution of knowledge.” – Paul Romer, Nobel Laureate and University Professor, NYU … Read more

Saving 4 Million Books From Landfill

It’s the classic librarian’s dilemma: Because no library has unlimited storage, every library has to carefully manage its physical collection, and that means removing books to make space for new ones. On one hand, it’s exciting to bring in fresh voices, new stories and modern research, but on the other, a library’s main goal is to … Read more

Shining a Light on Forgotten Authors & Neglected Books

UPDATE (3/16/23): In researching this post, Internet Archive librarians discovered that this book came to the Internet Archive through our literacy partnership with Better World Books, originating from a library in the UK. This story further highlights the value of our partnership in preserving books & cultural heritage for generations to come. Brad Bigelow first became fascinated … Read more

Register Now for the Virtual Library Leaders Forum

In our virtual Library Leaders Forum, you’ll hear from Internet Archive staff about our emerging library services and updates on existing efforts, including from our partners. How do libraries empower research in the 21st century? Join in our discussion! REGISTER NOW! Speakers from the Internet Archive include: Community projects include: Library Leaders Forum 2024 – VIRTUALOctober 17 @ … Read more

Vanishing Culture: Preserving Cookbooks

The following guest post from humanities scholar Katie Livingston is part of our Vanishing Culture series, highlighting the power and importance of preservation in our digital age. My Grann’s edition of The Grady County Extension Homemaker Council’s cookbook Down Home Cookin’ is missing its front and back cover. Once made of thin, flimsy pieces of plastic decorated with an … Read more