There is no shortage of free media on the internet these days. From the video sharing site Youtube to the databases like DPLA and the Internet Archive the amount of media freely available to students and teachers is truly overwhelming. Now, in an effort to preserve 40,000 hours of public media programming, the Library of Congress has partnered with GBH Boston to create the American Archive of Public Broadcasting (AAPB). In the past 60 years Americans have invested nearly 10 billion dollars in public radio and television, and now “the American Archive will ensure that this rich source for American political, social, and cultural history and creativity will be saved and made available once again to future generations.”

AAPB Landing Page

AAPB Exhibits

The Archive includes high quality programs that have had national impact. This media encompasses “local news and public affairs programs, local history productions that document the heritage of local communities, and programs dealing with education, environmental issues, music, art, literature, dance, poetry, religion, and even filmmaking on a local level.” Users can browse by contributing organizations like public television member stations or collegiate institutions, explore exhibits “of selected recordings that focus on themes, topics, and events of cultural and historical significance,” or view special collections of resources from across the PBS media spectrum.  

The AAPB was in its infancy from 2013 to 2016 while much of the digitizing was being completed. But now it is fully functioning, easy to navigate, and can provide teachers, students, and media specialists with countless resources for research projects or instruction, all from organizations and institutions that Americans trust.