Type the letters dp.la into any web browser and you arrive at one of the most comprehensive digital collections to date. The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) brings together the collections of libraries, museums, and archives from around the world, including the Smithsonian, the National Archives, and the New York Public Library. And now that the project has launched, anyone with a computer and internet connection can access this collection of over 2.4 million items. You can discover photographs taken during Prohibition, watch archival footage of the Poor People’s Campaign, or you might listen to the vocalization of a bald eagle.
The vision of a national digital library has been circulating among librarians, scholars, educators, and private industry representatives since the early 1990s. Efforts led by a range of organizations, including the Library of Congress, HathiTrust, and the Internet Archive, have successfully built resources that provide books, images, historic records, and audiovisual materials to anyone with Internet access. Many universities, public libraries, and historical societies have digitized materials, but these digital collections often exist in silos. The Digital Public Library of America brings these different viewpoints, experiences, and collections together in a single platform and portal, providing open access to our society’s digitized cultural heritage.
Visit the DPLA and explore the nation’s digital attic!