Digital Public Library America

The DPLA is a free, web-based platform that brings together millions of digital resources from America's libraries, archives, and museums. It launched in April 2013 and currently provides access to over 33 million items including photographs, manuscripts, books, sounds, moving images, and other cultural heritage materials.

DPLA is freely available to everyone in the world. It is a non-profit organization (501(c)3) that provides open access to all its digital resources without any subscription or usage fees.

Users can access a wide range of materials including photographs, manuscripts, books, audio recordings, videos, maps, artwork, cultural artifacts, historical documents, and scientific data. These materials come from libraries, archives, museums and cultural institutions across the United States.

DPLA offers multiple ways to explore its collections: you can search by time or place, browse through a virtual bookshelf, explore curated exhibitions, use filtering tools, and access themed collections. The platform features a clean layout and simple navigation tools that make it easy for both students and researchers to use.

DPLA is particularly valuable for education, offering primary source materials that can be incorporated into lesson plans. It includes curated exhibitions and topical collections that help students engage with historical materials. Teachers can use it to develop research projects, though it's recommended to provide specific tasks and guidance to make the vast collection more manageable for students.

Content comes from a wide network of partner institutions across the United States, including research libraries, public libraries, museums, historical societies, and cultural heritage organizations. These institutions digitize and share their collections through DPLA to make them more accessible to the public.