| A Year of Resilience at the Internet Archive As we gear up for the holidays and commemorate another year passing, we want to extend gratitude for the Internet Archive community, as you've given us your unwavering support through 2024. Take a look below to see some key moments from our year—none of which would be possible without your patronage. | | | Preservation Efforts Continue Amid Attacks on Libraries Worldwide This year, libraries have encountered unprecedented challenges. Attacks from large corporations, including book banning, defunding, and restrictive licensing, have continued. Additionally, malicious actors have increased their nefarious actions, such as cyberattacks, website defacing, and limiting access to essential materials. These efforts have created significant barriers for communities seeking freely accessible knowledge.
Despite these challenges, the Internet Archive is more committed than ever to fighting for access to public information for all those who seek it. Our preservation efforts in both the United States and Canada are reaching new heights with the Vanishing Culture Report, which highlights recent instances of cultural loss and underscores the crucial role that libraries and archives must play in preserving materials for future generations. We celebrated this ongoing effort at our annual October Celebration, where we shared our tales of resilience in the face of these challenges and heard from some of the Internet Archive's most passionate advocates. | | | Archiving an Island Nation In the spring, Aruba took historic steps to preserve its rich history through a digitization initiative known as Coleccion Aruba. This digital heritage portal provides free global access to over 100,000 historical materials and cultural treasures. The collection features newspapers, images, and videos documenting Aruba's past and is an invaluable resource for researchers—all of which can be accessed globally via the Internet Archive.
Aruba was the first nation ever to partner with the Internet Archive to provide long-term preservation of its entire national archives. The digital materials are stored on a server kept on the island.
By embracing its digital heritage, the portal enriches academic pursuits, celebrates the island's diverse culture, and is a testament to the power of collaborative preservation efforts. As a result, the Internet Archive proudly awarded Aruba the 2024 Internet Archive Hero Award, presented annually to individuals, organizations, and now nations that show exceptional leadership in expanding access to knowledge and supporting the digital preservation of cultural and historical materials. | | Highlights in Our Collections
Each new year brings exciting additions to our extensive archive.org collections. This year, we welcomed exciting materials in radio preservation like the Airchecks: Format Switches, Final and First Days collection, which contains almost 150 radio show recordings either in their final hours before a format change or its beginning moments of a new format/ownership. Additionally, we launched the DX-Peditions Collection, a repository of audio, video, and text of expeditions to exotic places by amateur radio operators and DX (or long-distance) listeners, generously contributed by The California Historical Radio Society. We also ushered in the Alfredo Lissoni UFO Clippings Collection, featuring thousands of UFO-related clippings from various sources.
On the web this year, we saved legacy music media sites like MTV News, which took all its sites offline in June; its contents are now available in the Wayback Machine, with more than 470,000 pages dating back to 1977 (here's a sample search for Peter Gabriel). CMT News is also available—with 70,000 pages saved dating back to 2002 (sample search for Dolly Parton). These archives are essential for documenting entertainment history and preserving our digital culture. | | Creating a Community of our Most Dedicated Supporters
The Internet Archive is more than a mission; we are a community. This year, we rolled out a new initiative called the Monthly Giving Circle—a community of patrons who donate on a recurring basis—to celebrate and thank crucial members of our support system.
Not only do monthly donors play a crucial role in defending libraries and protecting access to information worldwide, but they also gain access to perks, discounts, and exclusive access to some of the Archive's latest projects. Thank you to our Monthly Giving Circle members! Learn more about the program here and join today! | | | Our strength lies in our community. Without your support, we would not have achieved a fraction of this year's accomplishments. If you would like to help us promote Universal Access to All Knowledge, you can contribute at archive.org/donate.
-The Internet Archive Team | | If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to the Internet Archive, we would greatly appreciate your support. You can lend a hand by visiting archive.org/donate or by texting ARCHIVE to 44321.
Thank you for helping us provide Universal Access To All Knowledge. | | | | |
