A Landmark Achievement and Unprecedented Growth

We are thrilled to announce that on July 31, 2024, the APTrust preservation repository has surpassed 500 TB of unique digital content. This achievement underscores member institutions' trust and confidence in APTrust's services and highlights the rapid growth of digital collections in academic libraries and archives.

Just three months ago, on April 1, APTrust celebrated passing the 400 TB mark. The astonishing growth of 100 TB in such a short span speaks volumes about the increasing need for reliable digital preservation solutions. This growth rate, averaging 0.83 TB per day since the beginning of 2024, reflects the expanding digital footprint of our cultural and scholarly heritage.

Resilience in the Face of Challenges

Interestingly, this period of remarkable growth coincided with a brief service outage in June. While such interruptions can be challenging, they also serve as valuable learning experiences, allowing us to enhance our systems and ensure even greater reliability moving forward. As a result of these experiences, we are now working more closely with our members and have established improved communication flows about preparing content for deposit. This collaborative approach is a testament to our community—APTrust is not a vendor or just a service but a true community working together to solve shared challenges.

The Significance of 500 TB and Collaborative Success

As we celebrate this milestone, it's worth reflecting on what 500 TB of unique digital content represents. It's not just about the sheer volume of data; it's about the vast array of knowledge, research, and cultural artifacts that are now securely preserved for future generations. From rare manuscripts and historical photographs to cutting-edge research data and born-digital artworks, each byte contributes to the rich tapestry of our shared heritage.

This achievement is not just APTrust's—it belongs to every member institution that has contributed to this collaborative effort. It's a celebration of the power of community-driven initiatives in the face of the ever-growing challenges of digital preservation.

Looking to the Future and a Call to Action

This milestone inspires and calls us to action. The rapid growth we've witnessed underscores the urgency of our mission. As digital content creation accelerates, our work in ensuring long-term access to these materials becomes ever more critical.

To our member institutions, your trust and participation have made this achievement possible. Thank you. To the broader community of librarians and archivists, we invite you to join us in this crucial endeavor. Together, we can ensure that the digital record of our time remains accessible and preserved for generations to come.

Here's to 500 TB, to the next milestone, and to the enduring importance of digital preservation in safeguarding our collective knowledge and heritage.

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