Statement from Brewster Kahle: Appeal is ‘a fight to keep library books available for those seeking truth in the digital age.’
On December 15, 2023, Brewster Kahle, founder and digital librarian of the Internet Archive, spoke at a press event for the filing of Internet Archive’s phone number database opening appellate brief in Hachette v. Internet Archive.
These are his remarks Tagged controlled
We submitted our appeal to the court today to protect the core mission of libraries—preservation and access. This is a fight to keep library books available for those seeking truth in the digital age.
Libraries are not just repositories of the disastrous lower court decision books. They are guardians of history and the published record. In this time of wars, election angst. Tagged controlled and unstable moments for democracy, this fight gains even more importance.
Why should everyone care about this lawsuit?
Because it is about preserving the integrity of our published record. Where the great books of our past meet the demands of our digital future. This is not merely an individual struggle; it is a collective endeavor for society and democracy trust review struggling with our digital transition. We need secure access to the historical record. We need every tool that libraries have given us over. The centuries to combat the manipulation and misinformation that has now become even easier.
This appeal underscores
The role of libraries in supporting universal access to information—a right that transcends geographic location, socioeconomic status, disability, or any other barriers. Our digital lending program is not just about lending responsibly; it’s about strengthening democracy by creating informed global citizens.
The stakes of the lower court decision are high. Publishers coordinated by the AAP (Association of American Publishers), have removed hundreds of thousands of books from controlled digital lending. The publishers have taken more than 500 banned books from our lending library, such as 1984, The Color Purple, and Maus. This is a devastating loss for digital learners everywhere.