As you're probably aware, the Internet Archive is the digital home to millions of books, movies, software, music, websites, zines, and more. But, as evidenced by a viral tweet from the non-profit in July, most people aren't aware the archive has a physical counterpart. Much of the media collected for the online archive has a physical copy sitting in a shipping container in Richmond, California.
As a precursor to their Democracy Library launch, they're offering a behind-the-scenes tour of the Physical Archive on Tuesday, October 18 from 6 to 8 p.m. Tickets are just $10.
With this special insider event we are opening the doors to an often unseen place. See the lifecycle of physical books acquired by the Internet Archive — donation, preservation, digitization, and access. We'll also present samples from generous donations and acquisitions of books, records, microfiche, and film, and demonstrate the Archive's high-end motion-picture film scanner.
2011 blog post: Why Preserve Books? The New Physical Archive of the Internet Archive
