2017 Charleston Library Conference

Looking for a trusted source of information? That’s a book. In 2017, for many learners if a book isn’t digital, it doesn’t exist. Yet there’s almost a century of knowledge still living only on the printed page, missing from our digital shelves.

The Internet Archive’s Open Libraries project offers a solution that brings four million books online, through purchase or digitization, while honoring the rights of creators and expanding their online reach. Added to our existing 2.5 million ebooks, we can build the online equivalent of a great, modern public library. Working with US libraries and Benetech, operator of the world’s largest digital library for the print disabled, the Internet Archive (IA) will bring millions of free digital books to billions of people.

IA will select and preserve diverse collections and help libraries greatly expand their digital holdings. In 2013, ebooks comprised an average of 17% of U.S. public libraries collections; we can turn 80% of most library collections digital by 2023. We’ll build a financially sustainable infrastructure for at-scale ebook circulation so US libraries that own the hard copy can offer their patrons temporary digital access, just like loaning a book.

In this era of disinformation, ready access to trustworthy sources is critical. Library books are trusted sources for lifelong learning. By bringing them online, we empower journalists, educators and Wikipedia editors to cite “snippets” directly, grounding readers in the vetted, published record.

A century ago, Andrew Carnegie funded a vast network of libraries because he recognized democracy can only exist when citizens have access to good information. Libraries continue to play that vital role, welcoming society to use their resources for individual learning, while respecting readers’ privacy and dignity. Come explore the possibilities with Internet Archive’s Brewster Kahle and Wendy Hanamura. They want to hear your ideas and questions about this new digitize-and-lend service.