Internet Archive Receives IMLS Grant to Expand Access to Local and State Government Information

Internet Archive has received funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to support the development of ATLAS (Access To Local And State government information), a digital preservation program for state and local government agencies.

Government information and documentation is an essential part of our shared public record. From local policies and public reports to records documenting the work of government agencies, these materials help communities understand their history and participate in public life. Yet access to this information can vary widely, and valuable digital records can be difficult to preserve, find, and use.

Through this grant, the Internet Archive will develop ATLAS as a national program focused on supporting preservation efforts, institutional coordination, and access. Over the two-year project period, we will provide training and access to Internet Archive services Archive-It and Vault to 100 government and partner institutions, helping them strengthen their approaches to web archiving and digital preservation.

This program will also include several new resources for the broader government information community. We will host a collaborative access portal to make government information easier to discover, develop a toolkit with practical resources for organizations working with these records, and host a National Summit on Local Government Information to bring together practitioners, researchers, and technologists interested in preserving and expanding access to the public record.

Internet Archive will be working closely with the Council of State Archivists (CoSA) to engage with organizations across the country. CoSA is a nonprofit membership organization of the state and territorial government archives in the fifty states, five territories, and District of Columbia.

Joy Banks, Executive Director of CoSA, shares “The Council of State Archivists is glad to partner with the Internet Archive on this important project. Government archives and records management programs have a responsibility to preserve and make accessible the records that document government. That work often now includes capture and preservation of websites and other digital assets. Through this collaboration, CoSA is glad to be a voice for the profession, building lines of support between state and local practitioners so that they can be better equipped for their essential work.”

This grant represents an important opportunity to build connections among archives, libraries, government agencies, and communities of practice. We look forward to working with a variety of partners in each state and territory to make government information more accessible.

Additional details about ATLAS and upcoming opportunities to participate will be shared soon. See our website to learn more or email us at atlasteam@archive.org with any questions.