Information Technology and Libraries: Boston Public Library to make thousands of images available free online

Marking the 20th anniversary of Wikipedia, the Boston Public Library (USA) has made more than 8,000 historical photographs from its archives publicly available on Wikimedia Commons.

The images uploaded to Wikimedia are among the most significant photos in the library’s archives. It is the largest release on Wikimedia Commons.

By providing images in the public domain, the Boston Public Library makes them available for free use in publications, student projects, and articles.

The release of the Boston Public Library is part of a large-scale project by the Digital Public Library of America to expand access to historical materials from national libraries and museums.