The Library of Congress can now systematically archive the public internet

The Library of Congress just awarded a $15 million contract for web harvesting services. This means the national library is formally scaling up its efforts to collect and preserve digital information from the internet.

The Library of Congress has always collected information to preserve national memory. This contract shows a significant commitment to treating the internet itself as a primary source of that memory, requiring specialized, large-scale collection efforts. It means the national library is investing heavily in capturing the digital public record.