Memory institutions support communities<\/strong> by preserving and providinglong-term access to the cultural, artistic, and scientific knowledge that make up our collective intellectual heritage. Memory institutions also help individuals seeking, obtaining, and sharing information<\/strong> by democratizing access<\/strong> and allowing everyone\u2014no matter their income level or physical location\u2014to educate themselves and participate in public life<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authors, researchers, journalists, and other creators depend upon digital access to library, archive, and museum collections, because these memory institutions keep resources available without regard to commercial viability<\/strong>. Future generations depend upon memory institutions for access to the older, difficult-to-find materials that become building blocks for new creative works and scientific understanding<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These essential public benefits are possible because memory institutions have historically had the discretion and capacity to collect, preserve, and provide controlled access to books and other essential resources. Unfortunately, many of these activities have become less certain in today\u2019s increasingly digital<\/strong>, networked world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the one hand, much of the world\u2019s information remains undigitized in physical formats and thereby inaccessible to those without time and resources to travel. On the other hand, many of the materials that are published and accessed online in digital formats are locked up in commercial platforms <\/strong>that unduly restrict memory institutions <\/strong>in their public service mission. This state of affairs has left memory institutions with fewer (if any) practical ways to collect, preserve, and make materials available for future generations<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n