While some companies remain reluctant to the idea of free knowledge in the digital age, we’re glad there are projects like Internet Archive to embrace it.
The online, non-for-profit archive currently hosts millions of books, films, music, audio, websites and much more. They’re also to thank for the awesome Wayback Machine, a program which allows anyone to access archived websites.
And their latest project is another monster in its own right. The audio archives of the Boston Public Library are going to be made available online – if you don’t appreciate the magnitude of that, their vaults house almost 200,000 vinyl records.
The Internet Archive have taken on the massive task of digitising the Boston Public Library’s record collection. Because they’re good guys, it’s also going to be free.
The BPL collection spans most of the 21st century, inclusive of just about every genre there is. The records are largely pressed to 78’s and 33 1/3’s. In the true spirit of Internet Archive, the recordings will become available for free.
The transfer has already begun but obviously, given the sheer volume of the collection, it could take years.
“Boston Public Library sound archives go digital” https://t.co/wk4e6qL3Cx via @BostonGlobe
— Internet Archive (@internetarchive) October 15, 2017
Nonetheless, you can head here to hear what they’ve uploaded thus far.
Via WBUR.
