Internet Archive Designated as a Federal Depository Library | Internet Archive Blogs

Internet Archive Designated as a Federal Depository Library

Announced today, the Internet Archive has been designated as a federal depository library by Senator Alex Padilla. The designation was made via letter to Scott Matheson, Superintendent of Documents at the U.S. Government Publishing Office.

Senator Padilla explained the designation in a statement to KQED:

“The Archive’s digital-first approach makes it the perfect fit for a modern federal depository library, expanding access to federal government publications amid an increasingly digital landscape,” Padilla said in a statement to KQED. “The Internet Archive has broken down countless barriers to accessing information, and it is my honor to provide this designation to help further their mission of providing ‘Universal Access to All Knowledge.’”

Internet Archive’s founder and digital librarian Brewster Kahle remarked on the designation:

“ I think there is a great deal of excitement to have an organization such as the Internet Archive, which has physical collections of materials, but is really known mostly for being accessible as part of the internet,” Kahle said. “And helping integrate these materials into things like Wikipedia, so that the whole internet ecosystem gets stronger as digital learners get closer access into the government materials.”

Read the letter: https://archive.org/details/padilla-designation-letter-to-gpo-7.24.2025

Learn more about the designation: “SF-Based Internet Archive Is Now a Federal Depository Library. What Does That Mean?” (KQED)

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Internet Archive Designated as a Federal Depository Library | Internet Archive Blogs

#2025 #America #Books #California #DonaldTrump #FederalDepositoryLibrary #Health #History #InternetArchive #KQED #Libraries #Library #LibraryOfCongress #Politics #Resistance #SanFrancisco #Science #Technology #Trump #TrumpAdministration #UnitedStates

I trust #InternetArchive with government documents more than I do the government! (Or #AI for that matter...)

Internet Archive is now an official #USGovernment document #library

by Steve Dent
Fri, July 25, 2025

"The US Senate has granted the Internet Archive federal depository status, making it officially part of an 1,100-library network that gives the public access to government documents, #KQED reported. The designation was made official in a letter from California Senator Alex Padilla to the Government Publishing Office that oversees the network. 'The Archive's digital-first approach makes it the perfect fit for a modern #FederalDepositoryLibrary, expanding access to federal government publications amid an increasingly digital landscape,' he wrote.

"Established by Congress in 1813, the Federal Depository Library Program is designed to help the public access government records. Each congressional member can designate up to two libraries, which include government information like budgets, a code of federal regulations, presidential documents, economic reports and census data.

"With its new status, the Internet Archive will be gain improved access to government materials, founder Brewster Kahle said in a statement. 'By being part of the program itself, it just gets us closer to the source of where the materials are coming from, so that it’s more reliably delivered to the Internet Archive, to then be made available to the patrons of the Internet Archive or partner libraries.' The Archive could also help other #libraries move toward #DigitalPreservation, given its experience in that area.

"It's some good news for the site which has faced legal battles of late. It was sued by major #publishers over loans of #DigitalBooks during the #Coronavirus epidemic and was forced by a federal court in 2023 to remove more than half a million titles. And more recently, major music labels filed lawsuits over its #Great78Project that strove to preserve #78RPM records. If it loses that case it could owe more than $700 million damages and possibly be forced to shut down.

"The new designation likely won't aid its legal problems, but it does affirm the site's importance to the public. 'In October, the Internet Archive will hit a milestone of 1 trillion pages,' Kahle wrote. 'And that 1 trillion is not just a testament to what libraries are able to do, but actually the sharing that people and governments have to try and create an #EducatedPopulace.' "

https://tech.yahoo.com/general/articles/internet-archive-now-official-us-123036550.html

#BigPublishing #Archives #BigMusic #CulturalPreservation #DigitalPreservation #WaybackMachine #Archiving #FairUse #Archives #Capitalism #Corporatism #FightForTheFuture #EmpoweringLibraries

The Internet Archive’s new designation as a U.S. federal depository library marks a shift in how government information is preserved and accessed. Senator Alex Padilla’s July 24 letter to the Government Publishing Office formalized the move, melding public accountability with the Archive’s digital-first mission. As part of a network of over 1,150 depository libraries, the Archive now solidifies its role in democratizing access to federal publications while facing ongoing legal and governance scrutiny.

TL;DR
📚 Gains official FDLP status
🤝 Integrates with government library network
🌐 Enhances access to federal documents
🧠 Raises questions of governance and oversight

https://blog.archive.org/2025/07/24/internet-archive-designated-as-a-federal-depository-library/
#InternetArchive #FederalDepositoryLibrary #OpenGovernment #DigitalPreservation #OpenData #Libraries

SF-Based Internet Archive Is Now a Federal Depository Library. What Does That Mean? | KQED

By Morgan Sung, Jul 24

The San Francisco-based Internet Archive now has federal depository status, joining a network of over 1,100 libraries that archive government documents and make them accessible to the public — even as ongoing legal challenges pose an existential threat to the organization.

California Sen. Alex Padilla made the designation in a letter sent Thursday to the Government Publishing Office, which oversees the program. In the letter, shared exclusively with KQED, Padilla praised the Internet Archive for its “digital focus” and said it “is leading the way when it comes to providing online library services.”

“The Archive’s digital-first approach makes it the perfect fit for a modern federal depository library, expanding access to federal government publications amid an increasingly digital landscape,” Padilla said in a statement to KQED. “The Internet Archive has broken down countless barriers to accessing information, and it is my honor to provide this designation to help further their mission of providing ‘Universal Access to All Knowledge.’”

Under federal law, members of Congress can designate up to two qualified libraries for federal depository status.

Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle said that while the nonprofit organization has always functioned as a library, this new designation makes it easier to work with the other federal depository libraries. That, he said, is a service to everyone.

“ I think there is a great deal of excitement to have an organization such as the Internet Archive, which has physical collections of materials, but is really known mostly for being accessible as part of the internet,” Kahle said. “And helping integrate these materials into things like Wikipedia, so that the whole internet ecosystem gets stronger as digital learners get closer access into the government materials.”

The Federal Depository Library Program was established by Congress in 1813, with the intention of ensuring that government records would be accessible to the American public. It includes maps, environmental reports, health studies, congressional records, newspapers and books.

These records account for “millions and millions of pages” that can take up entire floors of public libraries, Kahle said. San Diego’s public library gave up its federal depository status in 2020 because its government documents took up so much space and often went unused.

These records account for “millions and millions of pages” that can take up entire floors of public libraries, Kahle said. San Diego’s public library gave up its federal depository status in 2020 because its government documents took up so much space and often went unused.

Article…

Editor’s Note: Read the rest of the story, at the below link.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: SF-Based Internet Archive Is Now a Federal Depository Library. What Does That Mean? | KQED

#2025 #America #BethLaBerge #Books #California #FederalDepositoryLibrary #Health #History #InternetArchive #KQED #Libraries #LibraryOfCongress #MorganSung #Movies #Reading #Science #Technology #Television #UnitedStates