Rchive-it.com

Archive-It operates as a pivotal web archiving service under the umbrella of the Internet Archive, a non-profit organization founded in 1996 by digital librarian Brewster Kahle. Launched in 2006, the service addresses the need for institutions to preserve born-digital content for cultural heritage and research. Kahle, an early internet entrepreneur who also founded Alexa Internet, established the Internet Archive with the mission of providing "Universal Access to All Knowledge," a goal that directly informs the function of Archive-It.

The business model is subscription-based, generating revenue by providing its web archiving services to a diverse client base. These clients are primarily institutions such as state archives, university libraries, federal institutions, museums, and non-profit organizations. With over 1,200 partners across more than 45 countries, Archive-It enables these organizations to create, manage, and preserve curated collections of digital materials. The service is distinct from the public Wayback Machine, offering partners direct control over what content is collected and how frequently it is harvested, with options ranging from daily to annually.

The core service allows subscribers to capture and preserve web-based content, including websites, videos, and social media, through a user-friendly web application. Partners can catalog their collections with metadata, perform full-text searches, and manage access, with collections being publicly available by default unless special arrangements are made. The captured data is stored as WARC files with at least two copies maintained in the Internet Archive's data centers for long-term preservation and access. Beyond basic web archiving, Archive-It also offers services for text and data mining (ARCH) and a digital repository service for managing and preserving various digital files (Vault). This positions Archive-It as a critical infrastructure provider in the digital preservation and cultural heritage sector.

Keywords: web archiving, digital preservation, Internet Archive, cultural heritage, subscription service, digital library, data archiving, collection management, institutional archives, non-profit, web harvesting, Brewster Kahle, digital content management, research data, library services, museum archives, government records, university archives, online content preservation, digital repository