Goodbye Internet Archive?

Posted October 2, 2024 by Morgan Wilson

Recently, I read an article about the Internet Archive’s legal troubles, which got me thinking about a few things. I know many people use the Internet Archive because it is an affordable and easily accessible resource. I know many of my peers (myself included) have even used it to access textbooks for some classes. If disbanded, that brings an accessibility issue into play as we are losing a prominent free resource.  Right now it seems as if they are in a battle with themselves; the memory stored on the site could soon disappear. With the impending legal battle, I wonder what this will mean for their borrowing policies for digital resources. I also read that this could affect how libraries handle digital preservation projects in the future.

The digital preservation issue will forever affect archives as many use the Internet Archive as a major player in preserving digital materials. This is especially concerning regarding historical resources no longer available in print or online. As a whole, this case will have long-lasting effects on how archivists handle digital collections as it shapes legal and other ethics of digital preservation. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, and what will become of the Internet Archive.