3 ms·

Honest questions - Who gets to define an entity as a "library" and is IA defined as such, legally speaking?

• jimbob45 6y ago
  ...the government?
  • mthoms 6y ago
    Which government? There are 3 or 4 different layers of government. Your snark is pretty unhelpful. And un-called for considering (based on the other comments below) you don't really seem to know the actual legalities involved.
  • chongli 6y ago
    I just spent about 15 minutes searching all sorts of US government websites including the Library of Congress. I could not find any mention of the Internet Archive anywhere. Do you have a specific source that verifies that IA is a library?
    • jimbob45 6y ago
      No I just meant that the government sets the standard for what qualifies as a library. I'd have to take a trip to whichever city IA is based out of and check the public records to determine whether or not they've filed for library status.
      • joe5150 6y ago
        there is no such thing as "library status". anybody can start lending books as a community, private, or subscriber library anywhere at any time.
      • mthoms 6y ago
        "Filed for library status"? That is not a thing, don't make stuff up. Libraries appear to be regulated at the state level not municipal. https://www.imls.gov/assets/1/News/PublicLibraryStructureOrg_3-1996.pdf https://www.imls.gov/assets/1/News/PublicLibraryStructureOrg...