Note: Remember, the LOC Twitter Archive Will NOT Be Accessible to the General Public. Eventually, Google Will Provide a Complete Twitter Archive.
The Library of Congress has been in the business of storing American artifacts for 210 years, but when it comes to the new world of social media they realized they were going to need a hand. This week the LOC announced that they've hired the Massachusetts-based software firm Signiant to help them archive one of America's priceless treasures: the tweet.
The LOC's National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program has been digitizing important records since 2000 and has already archived more than 167 terabytes of web-based information. It was authorized by Congress to preserve the enormous amount of digital content being generated by the web. Now that the agency has added Twitter to the mix, the job has become even more massive.
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Signiant is in the business of moving and managing high-value digital content swiftly and securely. According to Signiant CEO Dennis Albano, "We're to digital files what FedEx is to a package." Along with archiving every single posting on Twitter, the software firm will also be helping the LOC manage and archive its millions of books, audio and video recordings, photographs, maps and manuscripts.
"Signiant is proud to support the mission of the Library of Congress to digitize our American heritage," Albano said. The company has done digital archiving for clients including the movie Avatar, the Vancouver Olympics for NBC, and the FIFA World Cup in South Africa for ESPN.
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