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Preserving Digital Sovereignty: Marleen Stikker & Brewster Kahle at the KB in The Hague on 17 September

/ / Digital Rights for Libraries, Events

Exploring the Urgency of Web Archiving in the Netherlands

In an era where websites disappear and change at a rapid pace, safeguarding our digital cultural heritage has never been more urgent. On Wednesday 17 September, the KB – National Library of the Netherlands in The Hague will host a timely event featuring Marleen Stikker, internet pioneer and founder of Waag Futurelab, and Brewster Kahle, founder of the Internet Archive and Internet Archive Europe.

This gathering will focus on the need for robust web archiving in the Netherlands. Despite efforts by Dutch institutions like the KB, the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision, and the National Archives, legal restrictions severely limit the ability to comprehensively preserve Dutch websites. As a result, vast portions of the Dutch digital memory risk being lost.

A Conversation on Collective Memory and Democratic Infrastructure

The event will spotlight how digital preservation supports historical awareness, collective memory, and a functioning democracy. Marleen Stikker will address why digital sovereignty matters in today’s political and cultural landscape, while Brewster Kahle will showcase the Internet Archive’s efforts to preserve the web globally since 1996—including new ways to explore archived websites and bring collections to life.

Their insights will be particularly valuable for policymakers, cultural heritage professionals, and digital preservation advocates. The discussion will be held in English.

Event Details

Date: Wednesday 17 September 2025
Time: 15:30–17:00, followed by a reception
Location: KB | National Library of the Netherlands, Prins Willem-Alexanderhof 5, 2595 BE The Hague
Language: English
Audience: Heritage sector professionals and advocates, policymakers, and invited guests

👉 Register here to attend the event and more info here.
(Note: Limited capacity; early registration recommended)

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Thank You, Leiden—You Were Amazing!

/ / Events, Public AI

On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, I had the privilege of speaking at Leiden University’s Telders Auditorium, located in the heart of Leiden, Netherlands. It was an inspiring afternoon filled with positive academic energy, thought-provoking discussions, and a shared passion for digital preservation of our collective memory. Many thanks to Jos Damen and Dirk Visser for co-hosting and organizing the afternoon.

Brewster Kahle at Leiden University, photo by Beatrice Murch

Exploring the Future of Libraries and AI

This special event focused on the exciting possibilities at the intersection of libraries and artificial intelligence. My talk introduced the Internet Archive Europe’s efforts to leverage AI and other tools to enhance accessibility and relevance to vast cultural heritage collections of our partners.

Key Takeaways from the Talk

✅ Championing Cultural Diversity – How Public AI can reflect European values, support smaller languages, and ensure that no cultural narratives are lost.

✅ Empowering Accessibility – We explored how AI-driven assistive technologies can improve access to library resources for individuals with reading challenges.

✅ Revolutionizing Discovery – We discussed how machine learning can improve metadata, making digital collections easier to search and navigate, bringing them to life.

✅ Addressing Global Challenges – The potential of AI in tackling global issues such as climate change was also a key topic of discussion.

Brewster, Jos, Dirk and Ronald with the Project Owl, by Vera de Kok – CC BY-SA 4.0

Presentation of Owl Award

On behalf of the Internet Archive, I was deeply honored to receive the ProjectUil (Project Owl) from Wikimedia Nederland. Ronald Velgersdijk the organizer of the Dutch Wiki Owls, presented me with the 2024 Project Owl. Vera de Kok, another Dutch Wikipedian, was on hand to document the whole event with photos and wrote up a wonderful summary of the presentation of the owl and the lecture. We appreciate all the time and effort all Wikipedia contributors put in to make the internet a place for knowledge.

Looking Ahead: Move Ahead, He Said

The atmosphere in the room was enthusiastic, perfectly captured by Dirk Visser, Professor of Intellectual Property Law at Leiden Law School, who passionately encouraged the audience with his call to action “To move ahead as quickly as possible!”, acknowledging that “there certainly will be legal issues, but [the archive community] should of course invoke Article 3 for all things that are not for profit”. 

His words resonated deeply, reaffirming our collective commitment to both preserving knowledge and driving innovation forward.

I left Leiden feeling inspired by the engagement and thoughtful questions from the audience. This event reinforced the Internet Archive Europe’s mission—to build a global digital library that is accessible to all and to foster a community where digital collections truly come to life.

Thank you, Leiden, for an unforgettable experience! Your energy and enthusiasm remind me that when we combine passion with purpose, we can achieve extraordinary things. Let’s continue to push boundaries and shape the future of digital knowledge together!

— Brewster Kahle

🔗 Explore more about the Internet Archive Europe’s mission, in our “news about Internet Archive Europe“.

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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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Whispering Innovation: How the EU’s Legislative Framework Enables AI Breakthrough in Sweden

/ / Public AI

The National Library of Sweden has unveiled KB-Whisper, an AI model that converts spoken language into written text with remarkable precision. This innovation demonstrates how the EU’s legislative framework fosters AI advancements that enhance accessibility, research, and linguistic diversity through responsible development.

A Breakthrough in Swedish Speech-to-Text

KB-Whisper exemplifies AI’s potential to serve the public good. Trained on over 50,000 hours of Swedish-language audio—including television programs, parliamentary sessions, and regional dialects—the model delivers the most accurate Swedish speech transcription to date, reducing word-level errors by 47% compared to existing models.

This achievement is possible thanks to the EU’s copyright and AI rules, which provide a regulatory framework that supports responsible AI development while ensuring transparency and accountability. By enabling institutions like KB to access extensive datasets for training, the EU empowers AI models that cater to European linguistic and cultural needs.

Enhancing Accessibility and Innovation

KB-Whisper is a game-changer for accessibility. By improving television subtitles and making Sweden’s national archives more searchable, the model significantly expands public access to information. Beyond cultural applications, it also enhances customer service through automated transcription and assists healthcare professionals with precise medical dictation transcriptions.

These applications showcase how EU policies, such as the AI Act and open-data initiatives, drive AI innovation that prioritizes inclusivity, linguistic diversity, and public knowledge access.

AI as a Democratic Tool for Research

Another standout feature of KB-Whisper is its ability to unlock historical and cultural materials for researchers. By transcribing audio archives into searchable text, the model grants academic researchers and the public access to previously inaccessible content.

The EU’s commitment to open science and knowledge-sharing has led to the democratization of data, underscoring the vital role of publicly funded AI projects in benefiting society as a whole.

The EU Advantage in AI Development

KB-Whisper’s success highlights the advantages of AI development within the EU’s regulatory framework. By promoting ethical AI training, ensuring transparency, and safeguarding linguistic diversity, the EU fosters innovation that benefits businesses, citizens, research institutions, and cultural organizations alike.

The EU’s approach to AI regulation proves that proper governance strengthens rather than stifles technological progress. By balancing innovation with rights protection, Europe is shaping AI solutions that are both cutting-edge and socially responsible. And that’s a model worth following.

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