Archive status

Archive.org is an American non-profit digital library and a key proponent of universal access to knowledge. Founded by Brewster Kahle in 1996, its business model is unique as it is a non-profit funded primarily by donations from individuals, grants from foundations, and by providing web archiving and book digitization services to paying partners. It does not rely on advertising or user fees. The organization is perhaps best known for its Wayback Machine, a massive public archive that has captured hundreds of billions of web pages over the years, allowing users to "travel back in time" to see how websites looked on specific dates. Beyond the web, Archive.org's mission is to preserve and provide free, permanent access to a vast collection of cultural artifacts in digital form. Its other core services include the Open Library, a project that aims to create a web page for every book ever published and offers a lending library of over 4 million eBooks through a "controlled digital lending" model. It also hosts a vast collection of digitized media, including old films, television shows, concerts, software, and images, many of which are in the public domain or have been made available by their creators. The organization's commitment to archiving and preserving digital content has made it an invaluable resource for researchers, historians, and students worldwide.