Internet Archive, a non-profit digital library is digging up old vinyl records. These large black disks that are now being recognized for both their sound and aesthetic value will be collected, digitized, and preserved. The old vinyl records the Archive digs up will be added to their collection, as one of the resources the Internet Archive is compiling for their “Universal Access to All Knowledge” campaign. The vinyl records will be joining the Archive’s collection of books and television recordings, as My Modern Met detailed:
To do so, the Internet Archive has teamed up with the Boston Public Library earlier this year to digitize more than 100,000 audio recordings from the Boston Library’s sound collection. Within this assemblage are recordings in formats like wax cylinders, 78 RPMs, and LPs—although, at the moment, the project is focusing on the LPs.
CR Saikley, the Director of Special Projects at the Internet Archive, says, “The LP was our primary musical medium for over a generation. From Elvis, to the Beatles, to the Clash, the LP was witness to the birth of both Rock & Roll and Punk Rock. It was integral to our culture from the 1950s to the 1980s and is important for us to preserve for future generations.” These audio files were never translated into digital format, which means their content is at risk since it is locked in the physical vinyl. This makes the LP digitization project a priority for the Internet Archive and the Boston Public Library.
Currently, you can listen to 750 full LP albums by visiting Unlocked Recordings on the Internet Archive.
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