My First Donation to the Internet Archive Digital Library

Summer to Fall, 2021

The Internet Archive's online Digital Library is a fantastic service to humanity. I have a huge library, which I use for research and reference. Most of those books are not in local libraries. The ones that are, are redundant.

As are many of the fiction paperbacks I purchased in my 20s and 30s. The science fiction describes worlds that seem tame (and incorrect) compared to the futures I can imagine. My time is better spent imagining and writing.

I also had a lot of LP record albums, which I can no longer appreciate with my failing ears and tinnitus. Also many VHS video tapes, from library sales and garage sales.

So, I've donated 1600 pounds of books, records, and video tapes (more than 2000 items) to the Internet Archive. After scanning (debinding the books in the Phillipines and scanning the loose pages), they will be available for online borrowing. By me, or any other person with internet access. Some of the donations are redundant, and don't need to be scanned again, but the more copies the Archive has, the more copies they will loan out to readers.

I don't have pictures of filling the boxes, but I did scan bar codes of type in ISBN numbers for every book that had them - about 80% of the donation. That will help the Archive choose what to send for scanning, and what to simply warehouse as a surplus copy. Their box weight limit is 50 pounds, in a standard size box for easy palletization; I packed the boxes lighter, 25 to 40 pounds, to make them easier to lift.

As is, bringing 62 boxes up to the front driveway to load onto the pallets was fraught; almost thirty trips with the garden cart up the grass driveway around the house, from the basement library in the back of the house.

Not sure whether this donation can result in a significant tax deduction. When I borrow books from the Washington County Library, they append a comment about "you saved $XXX.XX dollars by using the library", referencing new book prices. Using the new price of current editions, they would be worth tens of thousands of dollars. Used price, a little less than ten thousand. But for me, they are worth uncrowded shelf space for my remaining books.

I won't provide the list of books donated here yet ... let's see what the Digital Library does with them, and when.