Congress Approves LC Plan to
Preserve Digital Information
Congress has approved a plan proposed by the Library of Congress for a national program to preserve the nation’s digital history. The action gives LC $20 million to launch the initial phase of its Plan for the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program in collaboration with other federal agencies, as well as research and private libraries.
The initiative received a $100-million appropriation in December 2000. At that time LC was given $5 million to plan the program; the recent congressional action releases another $20 million to develop a system to evaluate and store digital information. The initial appropriation requires that up to $75 million of the total funding be matched by private donations.
“The Library of Congress is grateful for the continuing support that Congress has given us by asking us to lead this critical program to collect and preserve America’s cultural and intellectual heritage in digital formats for generations to come,” said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. “Together with other federal agencies and the library, archival, university and private sector communities, we will work to develop a network of collaborative partners as well as a technical architecture that will provide the framework for digital preservation.”
Posted February 24, 2003.
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