Date: April 2025
Amount: $319,110

The Digital Library of Amateur Radio & Communications (DLARC) is an ongoing project spearheaded by the Internet Archive, designed to preserve, digitize, and provide open access to a century of history in amateur radio and digital communications. The project began with a grant from ARDC in December 2021. Its mission is to ensure that the knowledge, stories, and advancements in these fields are not lost over time, but instead made freely available to the public. Since its inception, DLARC has preserved more than 140,000 items, including newsletters, manuals, magazines, and personal collections. These materials cover topics such as amateur radio, shortwave listening, satellite communications, community radio, and the early development of digital technologies. The collection now exceeds 16.7 terabytes of data and includes both printed and digital content, such as audio and video recordings.

In the next two years, DLARC plans to scan an additional 880,000+ pages from a wide variety of sources, including rare manuals, newsletters, and journals, as well as digitizing hundreds of hours of video and audio content. Furthermore, the project will expand its archiving efforts to include new forms of digital content, such as websites and social media related to amateur radio, ensuring that the history of these communications technologies remains comprehensive and up-to-date. DLARC is also committed to building personal archives for notable individuals in the amateur radio and communications communities, safeguarding their unique contributions and perspectives. Through these efforts, DLARC aims to continue growing as the most important resource in this field, preserving key documents of the past while also contributing to the ongoing dialogue about the future of communications.

In addition to expanding its digital holdings, DLARC aims to broaden its outreach and engagement efforts. The project plans to strengthen collaborations with amateur radio groups, community radio stations, universities, and collectors worldwide, ensuring that even more valuable materials are identified and digitized. The Internet Archive also plans to promote the DLARC collection more widely through targeted outreach, including conference presentations, articles, and partnerships with radio organizations. A key part of the project’s mission is to make the library accessible to newcomers in the amateur radio community, and as such, DLARC will develop resources such as a starter guide to help beginners navigate the vast array of materials available. By expanding access to both historical and contemporary content, DLARC will continue to serve as a cornerstone for research, education, and innovation in amateur radio.

Learn more at https://archive.org/details/dlarc.