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Internet Archive & the Wayback Machine

What is Internet Archive?

Internet Archive
A non-profit, public digital library founded in 1996. Their stated mission is to provide "universal access to all knowledge." In addition to its archiving function, the Archive is an activist organization, advocating for a free and open Internet.

Currently, the Archive provides free, public access to:

410 billion web pages (accessible via the Wayback Machine)
20 million books and texts
4.5 million audio recordings (including 180,000 live concerts)
4 million videos (including 1.6 million Television News programs)
3 million images
200,000 software programs (including historic computer applications, vintage console & arcade games, and more)

Registered users can upload their own content to the Archive.

What is the Wayback Machine?

The Wayback Machine (web.archive.org) is a digital archive of the World Wide Web. Since its launch in 2001, over 452 billion pages have been added to the archive.
Users can enter a URL to view and interact with past versions of any website contained in the Archive, even if the site no longer exists on the "live" web.

Do I Need to Register?

No! Most content in the Archive is in the Public Domain and can be streamed or downloaded by any user, without the need to register or sign in.

However, by signing up for an Internet Archive account, you gain access to a number of features, including:

Access to over 1.3 million modern (in copyright) ebooks that registered users can borrow.
A personal web archive that lets you add new sites to the Wayback Machine
The ability to freely upload your own content to the Archive
API access for bulk uploading/downloading and software integration
- Sign up for a free account at archive.org