Digital Public Library of America

Founded in 2013, the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) is a national platform that amplifies the value of libraries and cultural heritage organizations as Americans’ most trusted sources of shared knowledge. DPLA collaborates with a network of nearly 6,000 partners to make millions of cultural heritage items across the country available to all in a one-stop discovery experience at dp.la; provides a library-controlled marketplace and platform for libraries to purchase and deliver e-content to their patrons; and convenes library leaders and practitioners to explore and advance technologies that serve, inform, and empower their communities. DPLA empowers people to learn, grow, and contribute to a diverse and better-functioning society by maximizing access to our shared history, culture, and knowledge. DPLA believes in the power of partnerships, the potential for digital technologies to enable learning and creativity, and the urgency of ensuring the stories of all Americans—particularly those who historically have been marginalized—are told.

Founded in 2013, the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) is a national platform that amplifies the value of libraries and cultural heritage organizations as Americans’ most trusted sources of shared knowledge. DPLA collaborates with a network of nearly 6,000 partners to make millions of cultural heritage items across the country available to all in a one-stop discovery experience at dp.la; provides a library-controlled marketplace and platform for libraries to purchase and deliver e-content to their patrons; and convenes library leaders and practitioners to explore and advance technologies that serve, inform, and empower their communities. DPLA empowers people to learn, grow, and contribute to a diverse and better-functioning society by maximizing access to our shared history, culture, and knowledge. DPLA believes in the power of partnerships, the potential for digital technologies to enable learning and creativity, and the urgency of ensuring the stories of all Americans—particularly those who historically have been marginalized—are told.

The mission of Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) is to empower people to learn, grow, and contribute to a diverse and better-functioning society by maximizing public access to our shared history, culture, and knowledge. Its vision is a future in which digital technology serves to spread knowledge and unleash creativity so that all of our stories are told. DPLA is a national platform that connects people to the riches held within America’s cultural institutions—photos, books, maps, news footage, oral histories, letters, artwork, government documents, and much more. Its core programs include collections aggregation, which involves partnering with cultural heritage institutions to make millions of materials available to all; the DPLA Exchange, which provides a library-driven marketplace and platform for libraries to purchase, organize, and deliver e-content to their patrons; and convening and community building that bring together library leaders and practitioners to explore and advance technologies to serve, inform, and empower their communities. The award provides general operating support to DPLA.

The mission of Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) is to empower people to learn, grow, and contribute to a diverse and better-functioning society by maximizing public access to our shared history, culture, and knowledge. Its vision is a future in which digital technology serves to spread knowledge and unleash creativity so that all of our stories are told. DPLA is a national platform that connects people to the riches held within America’s cultural institutions—photos, books, maps, news footage, oral histories, letters, artwork, government documents and much more. Its core programs include collections aggregation, partnering with cultural heritage institutions to make millions of materials available to all; the DPLA Exchange, providing a library-driven marketplace and platform for libraries to purchase, organize, and deliver e-content to their patrons; and convening and community building that brings together library leaders and practitioners to explore and advance technologies to serve, inform, and empower their communities. The award provides general operating support to DPLA as it operationalizes its Digital Equity Project, including a new initiative focused on addressing algorithmic bias in the data-driven systems that libraries use to retrieve information.

The mission of Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) is to empower people to learn, grow, and contribute to a diverse and better-functioning society by maximizing public access to our shared history, culture, and knowledge. Its vision is a future in which digital technology serves to spread knowledge and unleash creativity so that all of our stories are told. DPLA is a national platform that connects people to the riches held within America’s cultural institutions—photos, books, maps, news footage, oral histories, letters, artwork, government documents and much more. The award supports a COVID-19 community archiving project in Chicago’s African American communities and a set of projects to increase access to free digital content and learning tools in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.