What happens when libraries disappear?; Creative Commons, January 27, 2026

Creative Commons; What happens when libraries disappear? 

"This month, NASA announced the closure of its largest research library at the Goddard Space Flight Center. Staff were left reeling from the sudden loss of their jobs and access to a collection spanning back to the 1800s. The majority of this collection is not yet digitized and is now at risk of disappearing from public reach.

Today, libraries and archives face mounting threats—from physical closures like this one to digital risks from AI systems that extract value without giving back. At CC, we recognize that, now more than ever, we must take a stand to protect these institutions. They are vital to a thriving democracy. 

This is top of mind as we mark our 25th anniversary. For a quarter century, we’ve fought to protect access to knowledge, and we have no plans to stop. In 2026, we'll continue to engage libraries and other academic institutions, while defending and advocating for the commons more broadly. We invite you to learn more here."

Internet Archive to Publishers: Drop ‘Needless’ Copyright Lawsuit and Work with Us; Publishers Weekly, July 23, 2020

Andrew Albanese, Publishers Weekly; Internet Archive to Publishers: Drop ‘Needless’ Copyright Lawsuit and Work with Us

"During a 30-minute Zoom press conference on July 22, Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle urged the four major publishers suing over the organization’s book scanning efforts to consider settling the dispute in the boardroom rather than the courtroom.

“Librarians, publishers, authors, all of us should be working together during this pandemic to help teachers, parents, and especially students,” Kahle implored. “I call on the executives of Hachette, HarperCollins, Wiley, and Penguin Random House to come together with us to help solve the challenging problems of access to knowledge during this pandemic, and to please drop this needless lawsuit.”

Kahle’s remarks came as part of a panel, which featured a range of speakers explaining and defending the practice of Controlled Digital Lending (CDL), the legal theory under which the Internet Archive has scanned and is making available for borrowing a library of some 1.4 million mostly 20th century books."