Beatrice Murch

Internet Archive Europe Joins LIBER 2025 Panel on “Four Rights for Libraries”

/ / Digital Rights for Libraries, Events

📅 Date: Friday, 4 July 2025
🕚 Time: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
📍 Location: Anthropole Building – Room 1031, Lausanne

We are proud to announce that Internet Archive Europe will be participating in this year’s LIBER 2025 Annual Conference as part of a powerful and timely panel titled “Four Rights for Libraries.” Moderated by our very own Jeff Ubois, this session brings together legal and policy experts from across Europe to spotlight how the rights long exercised by libraries are being eroded in the digital realm—and what we can do about it.

📚 Defending Library Rights in a Digital-Only World

The shift from owning physical materials to licensing digital content has created unprecedented challenges for libraries. License agreements often prohibit the preservation of digital works, making access to in-copyright but out-of-commerce materials a legal grey zone, or outright impossible. These barriers threaten not only long-term preservation efforts but also the principles of equitable access to knowledge and culture.

At LIBER 2025, our panel will explore these challenges and outline a proactive framework for securing Four Essential Rights for libraries:

  1. The Right to Collect: Enable libraries to acquire digital materials—regardless of format or delivery mechanism—through legal means, including streaming-only content and open-market purchases.
  2. The Right to Preserve: Guarantee that libraries can preserve, repair, and reformat digital content to ensure long-term access.
  3. The Right to Lend: Uphold libraries’ ability to lend digital content under fair and traditional conditions, such as one-person-at-a-time access.
  4. The Right to Cooperate: Allow for sharing and transferring digital collections among libraries to support underserved communities and global equity in access.

These principles are not merely aspirational. Governments, associations, and institutions are beginning to adopt them. For instance, the Government of Aruba has already endorsed this framework (read more), with similar commitments under consideration across the globe.

🎤 Meet the Panel

This panel brings together some of the most forward-thinking minds working at the intersection of policy, law, and digital access:

🔍 A Look Ahead: Building on LIBER’s Legacy

This session builds on LIBER’s longstanding commitment to digital knowledge access, including its signing of the Hague Declaration on Knowledge Discovery in the Digital Age (read more). By spotlighting current threats and proposing practical solutions, the “Four Rights for Libraries” panel aims to renew and expand that legacy for future generations.

🧭 Why This Matters

As more cultural works are born digital or digitally restricted, libraries must be empowered—not shackled—by the law. This panel offers a vision for a future where libraries can fulfill their essential public mission: preserving knowledge and making it available to all.

We look forward to seeing you in Lausanne. Join us to be part of the movement shaping the digital rights of libraries worldwide.

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Internet Archive Europe at PublicSpaces Conference: AI for the Public Good

/ / Events, Public AI

Internet Archive Europe is proud to participate in the upcoming PublicSpaces Conference in Amsterdam, joining a pivotal session on “AI for the Public Good” taking place on June 13, 2025. This session brings together leading voices in the field to explore how artificial intelligence can serve the public interest rather than narrow commercial goals.

Exploring Public-Interest AI

An academic for the Inclusive AI Lab of the Utrecht University and three Advisors of Internet Archive Europe will speak during the session, each bringing a unique perspective and expertise:

  • Jeff Ubois will set the stage by outlining some of the links between AI, digital preservation, and support public benefit initiatives—highlighting the challenges and opportunities we face in ensuring long term access to digital information. 
  • Daniel Erasmus will present ClimateGPT, a case study of how large language models can be harnessed to enhance decision-making about climate change, a pressing global concern that demands innovative, collaborative solutions.
  • Ben Cerveny will talk about AI as digital public infrastructure in various domains, and how the public sector might successfully build and maintain such resources
  • Lucie Chateau will bring a vital global lens, discussing how AI systems can be inclusive by design and look beyond EU-centric models. She will highlight the importance of ensuring AI policy and development also address the realities and innovations emerging from the Global South.

The panel will be moderated by Caroline De Cock, Head of Research of information labs.

Join the Conversation

As questions of control, access, and accountability in AI systems become ever more pressing, this session invites policymakers, technologists, civil society, and the public to rethink how AI can serve shared societal goals.

📅  When: June 13, 2025 – 15:15-16:10 @ IJzaal
 📍 Where: PublicSpaces Conference, Pakhuis De Zwijger, Amsterdam
🔗 More info & registration: conference.publicspaces.net/en/session/ai-for-the-public-good

Let’s explore how to build AI systems that empower communities, preserve knowledge, and strengthen public infrastructures. Join us for this timely and important discussion.

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Ownership Isn’t Optional: Why Libraries Must Control Their Digital Future

/ / Digital Rights for Libraries

Dominic Broadhurst’s recent resignation from Clarivate’s advisory board isn’t just one librarian’s stand; it’s a flashing red light for the entire library sector. His reasons – protesting Clarivate’s shift away from perpetual ownership of digital collections towards subscription-only models – echo exactly the warnings issued back in December 2022 in the Internet Archive’s report on Securing Digital Rights for Libraries.

The issue is stark: Renting knowledge isn’t the same as owning it.

Clarivate’s move, prioritizing recurring revenue over permanent access, perfectly illustrates the dangers highlighted:

  1. Loss of Control: When libraries can only subscribe, they lose the fundamental right to own and preserve collections for the long term. Libraries become dependent tenants, not permanent stewards.
  2. Erosion of Preservation: Subscription models jeopardise the library’s core mission to preserve knowledge for future generations. Content can disappear at a vendor’s whim or price increase, undermining collection stability.
  3. Threat to Equity: While framed as “affordable access,” mandatory subscriptions risk becoming unsustainable financial burdens, potentially limiting access for the communities libraries serve. True equity requires stable, perpetual access.
  4. Mission Conflict: As Broadhurst notes, vendor claims of “partnership” ring hollow when commercial interests directly undermine the library’s public service mission. Libraries’ role isn’t just providing temporary access; it’s ensuring lasting availability.

This isn’t just about one vendor. It’s about a fundamental principle: Libraries need ownership and control over digital resources to fulfill their mission. The shift to subscription-only access represents a direct challenge to library autonomy and the enduring public access to knowledge we safeguard.

Broadhurst’s resignation is a painful reminder that the fight for digital rights isn’t theoretical. It’s happening now, and the stakes are high. We must resist models that turn libraries into passive renters and champion solutions that guarantee permanent access and preservation.

The Internet Archive Europe stands firm on the principles outlined in the Internet Archive 2022 report. Libraries must have the right to own, preserve, and lend digital materials. This incident underscores the urgency of that fight. We cannot afford to rent our future.

Feature image by Barkhayot Juraev on Unsplash

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Standing Strong for Access to Knowledge: Brewster Kahle Speaks to NRC

/ / General, Press

On 7 April 2025, NRC Handelsblad published a thoughtful and deeply relevant interview with Brewster Kahle, founder of the Internet Archive, titled “Het grootste webarchief ter wereld wordt bedreigd door procederende uitgevers, zegt oprichter” (“The world’s largest web archive is under threat from litigious publishers, says founder”). We extend our sincere thanks to journalist Juurd Eijsvoogel for this important piece, which brings a nuanced spotlight to the fragile future of public access to knowledge.

For nearly three decades, Kahle has led the effort to build a library of the internet — a monumental task rooted in the same democratic values as the libraries of centuries past. In the interview, he explains the existential legal challenges the Internet Archive faces today and why its mission is more critical than ever.

“We are not trying to replace publishers — we’re trying to make sure the past is not forgotten,” Kahle tells NRC. “And Europe, with its rich cultural heritage and strong library tradition, must play a central role in this.”

At Internet Archive Europe, we share this conviction wholeheartedly. We believe Europe is not only a natural home for a growing web archive — it is a vital force in ensuring digital memory is preserved and access remains open for all.

Kahle also speaks with enthusiasm about the promise of artificial intelligence to serve this mission:

“AI helps us search data and texts, create summaries and translations, perform optical character recognition – all wonderful tools to bring our collections to life.

In this way, we can offer broader audiences access to Latin texts, to summaries of books they might never read in full. It can unleash a whole new wave of creativity.”

This is the spirit in which we’re growing Internet Archive Europe: to make memory, learning, and imagination thrive in a digital world. We are actively building collaborations with European institutions to make this vision a reality — one that is open, multilingual, and inclusive.

📎 Read the full NRC interview here (in Dutch).

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Brewster Kahle on the Future of Internet Archive Europe – Highlights from the 14 March Borrel

/ / Events, Public AI
Brewster Kahle at the Eye Film Museum, photo by Beatrice Murch

On 14 March 2025, Internet Archive Europe hosted an informal borrel in Amsterdam thanks to the hospitality of the Eye Film Museum. This event featured a presentation by Brewster Kahle, the renowned digital librarian and founder of the Internet Archive, followed by an animated and constructive exchange. The event brought together experts, activists, and cultural heritage professionals to discuss the evolving role of open access, digital preservation, and artificial intelligence (AI) in archiving and more generally in the preservation and enhancement of our collective intelligence.

A Vision for Collective Intelligence

During his presentation, Brewster Kahle introduced the concept of “Public/Collective Intelligence,” emphasizing the importance of freely accessible knowledge across cultural and linguistic barriers. He highlighted how the EU Copyright in the Digital Single Market Directive Article 3 exemption plays a crucial role in facilitating digital access and preservation.

Key initiatives discussed included:

  • ✅ Web Crawling & Book Displays – Ensuring historical and contemporary knowledge remains accessible.
  • ✅ LLMs for Small Languages – Supporting the development of AI models for underrepresented languages.
  • ✅ The Book Server – A promising tool for distributing books efficiently (archive.org/bookserver).
Daniel Erasmus presenting at Eye Film Museum, photo by Beatrice Murch
Bridging Culture, Policy, and Technology

The discussion explored the intersection of AI, copyright, and open access, including:

  • 📌 The role of AI in archiving – How large language models (LLMs) and AI tools can assist in digital preservation and bringing collections to life.
  • 📌 Challenges for libraries and cultural institutions – Addressing the growing impact of digital regulation on open access.
  • 📌 Strengthening advocacy efforts – The need for strong allies to support open-access initiatives across Europe.

Attendees also got an exclusive sneak peek at an upcoming documentary on digital archiving, underscoring the urgency of preserving cultural heritage in the digital age.

Looking Ahead – What’s Next for Internet Archive Europe?

With projects like Internet Archive Switzerland in development and a continued push for open cultural access, the Internet Archive Europe community is set for impactful contributions in 2025. Discussions at the borrel laid the groundwork for future collaborations, including a key presentation at the 2025 LIBER Annual Conference in Lausanne this July.

Crowd at Eye Film Museum presentation by Internet Archive Europe, photo by Beatrice Murch

A huge thank you to all participants for an insightful discussion on the future of digital knowledge preservation. Let’s continue working towards a world where information remains free, accessible, and preserved for future generations.

👉 For more updates, visit: internetarchive.eu/news

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Brewster Kahle to Deliver Lecture at Leiden University on Digital Libraries and AI

/ / Events, Public AI

Internet Archive Europe Lecture at Leiden University

Renowned digital librarian Brewster Kahle, founder of the Internet Archive, will deliver a lecture at Leiden University on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, from 16:00 to 17:00 CET. The event will take place at Rapenburg 73, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands (2311 GJ), in the Telders Auditorium.

📢 Register here to attend the event.

Brewster Kahle and the Mission of the Internet Archive

Brewster Kahle has dedicated his career to creating a digital library accessible to all, preserving over 145+ petabytes of data—including books, web pages, music, television, and software. The Internet Archive collaborates with 1,200+ library and university partners worldwide to safeguard cultural heritage and enhance public access to knowledge.

Founded in 2004, Stichting Internet Archive / Internet Archive Europe is a non-profit research library that works with European cultural heritage organisations to archive digital collections. Thanks to support from KPN/XS4ALL, these valuable resources are stored in the Netherlands.

Exploring AI and Digital Archives in Europe

With the encouragement of European directives, new opportunities are emerging to make digital collections more dynamic and accessible. This lecture will explore how Internet Archive Europe can collaborate with research institutions and cultural heritage organisations to expand access to digital archives.

Key discussion points will include:

  • Developing assistive technologies to help individuals with reading difficulties access library resources.
  • The potential for Public AI to reflect European values and support smaller languages.
  • Using AI and machine learning to address major challenges like climate change.
  • Leveraging AI for enhanced metadata and improved searchability of vast collections.
Join the Discussion on the Future of Digital Knowledge

This lecture is an opportunity to engage in a thought-provoking conversation about the future of AI, digital libraries, and open access in Europe. How can Internet Archive Europe and its partners maximise the potential of AI to serve the public good?

📅 Event Details:
 📍 Location: Telders Auditorium, Leiden University, Rapenburg 73, Leiden, Netherlands
🕓 Date & Time: Tuesday, March 18, 2025 | 16:00 – 17:00 CET
🔗 Register now
🗣️ Language: English 🇬🇧

This event is open to researchers, librarians, and anyone interested in the intersection of AI, digital preservation, and open access.

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