[Foundation-l] Missed opportunity: NASA AND INTERNET ARCHIVE LAUNCH CENTRALIZED RESOURCE FOR IMAGES

Fri Jul 25 19:11:53 UTC 2008

I just received this press release from NASA. Since NASA images are 
mostly PD to my knowledhe we missed an opportunity here:

July 24, 2008

David E. Steitz
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1730
david.steitz at nasa.gov

Paul Hickman
Internet Archive
415-462-1509, 415-561-6767
paul at archive.org

RELEASE: 08-173

NASA AND INTERNET ARCHIVE LAUNCH CENTRALIZED RESOURCE FOR IMAGES

WASHINGTON -- NASA and Internet Archive, a non-profit digital library 
based in San Francisco, made available the most comprehensive 
compilation ever of NASA's vast collection of photographs, historic 
film and video Thursday. Located at www.nasaimages.org, the Internet 
site combines for the first time 21 major NASA imagery collections 
into a single, searchable online resource. A link to the Web site 
will appear on the http://www.nasa.gov home page.

The Web site launch is the first step in a five-year partnership that 
will add millions of images and thousands of hours of video and audio 
content, with enhanced search and viewing capabilities, and new user 
features on a continuing basis. Over time, integration of 
www.nasaimages.org with http://www.nasa.gov will become more seamless 
and comprehensive.

"This partnership with Internet Archive enables NASA to provide the 
American public with access to its vast collection of imagery from 
one searchable source, unlocking a new treasure trove of discoveries 
for students, historians, enthusiasts and researchers," said NASA 
Deputy Administrator Shana Dale. "This new resource also will enable 
the agency to digitize and preserve historical content now not 
available on the Internet for future generations."

Through a competitive process, NASA selected Internet Archive to 
manage the NASA Images Web site under a non-exclusive Space Act 
agreement, signed in July 2007. The five-year project is at no cost 
to the taxpayer and the images are free to the public. 

"NASA's media is an incredibly important and valuable national asset. 
It is a tremendous honor for the Internet Archive to be NASA's 
partner in this project," says Brewster Kahle, founder of Internet 
Archive. "We are excited to mark this first step in a long-term 
collaboration to create a rich and growing public resource."

The content of the Web site covers all the diverse activities of 
America's space program, including imagery from the Apollo moon 
missions, Hubble Space Telescope views of the universe and 
experimental aircraft past and present. Keyword searching is 
available with easy-to-use resources for teachers and students.

Internet Archive is developing the NASA Images project using software 
donated by Luna Imaging Inc. of Los Angeles and with the generous 
support of the Kahle-Austin Foundation of San Francisco.

For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

Waerth

http://fi.ndit.at

http://www.archive.org