>>> THINK OF A LIBRARY AND WHAT
COMES TO MIND.
MAYBE THE ONE IN YOUR HOMETOWN
WHERE YOU GREW UP PULLING INDEX
CARDS FROM A FILING CABINET,
USING THE DEWY DECIMAL SYSTEM TO
FIND YOUR DUSTY BOOKS.
LIBRARIES HAVE CHANGED TO KEEP
UP WITH THE WAY WE GET OUR
INFORMATION ONLINE.
WHAT HAPPENS TO ALL THAT OLD
CONTENT POSTED TO THE INTERNET?
TURNS OUT THERE'S A LIBRARY FOR
THAT, TOO.
DASHA BURNS OF OUR STREAMING
SERVICE NBC NEWS NOW TRAVELS TO
SAN FRANCISCO FOR OUR SUNDAY
SPOTLIGHT.
>> Reporter: THIS FORMER CHURCH
IS FILLED WITH TREASURES FROM
THE PAST BUT IT MIGHT ALSO HOLD
A KEY TO THE FUTURE.
SO THIS SOUND HAS BEEN
DIGITIZED?
>> YES.
AND A LOT OF THE MUSIC THAT
WE'VE BEEN DIGITIZING JUST
HASN'T BEEN ON THE INTERNET
EVER.
>> Reporter: THE PLACE IS HOME
TO A NONPROFIT CALLED THE
INTERNET ARCHIVE.
THEY WANT TO BE A DIGITAL
LIBRARY FOR EVERYTHING, AND I
MEAN EVERYTHING.
>> CAN WE MAKE IT SO THAT ALL
THE PUBLISHED WORKS OF HUMAN
KIND CAN BE ACCESSIBLE TO
ANYBODY?
>> Reporter: IT SOUNDS
IMPOSSIBLE BUT IT HAS HAPPENED
BEFORE BACK IN THE THIRD
CENTURY.
>> THE LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA WAS
AMAZING IN THAT IT WAS THE
COLLECTION OF WHAT THE GREEKS,
THE ROMANS, THE HEBREWS ALL HAD
TO SAY AND IT WAS IN ONE PLACE.
>> Reporter: THE TEAM WANTS TO
RESURRECT THE LIBRARY IN 21st
CENTURY STYLE.
YOU BUILT THIS BEAST.
>> YES.
>> Reporter: WHY?
>> THE QUESTION IS, WHAT CAN YOU
DO WITH YOUR TECHNOLOGY THAT
WOULD BE GOOD?
WELL, WHY DON'T WE GO AND BUILD
THE LIBRARY THAT'S BEEN PROMISED
ALL THESE YEARS?
>> Reporter: BUT THAT'S A PRETTY
MASSIVE UNDERTAKING.
HOW BIG IS THE INTERNET ARCHIVE?
YOUR PHONE IS IN 64 AND 40
PETABYTES IS THE INTERNET
ARCHIVE.
>> EVERY TIME SOMETHING BLIVG B
THEY'RE UPLOADING OR
>> OVER A MILLION PEOPLE A DAY
USE THE INTERNET ARCHIVE AND YOU
CAN SEE THEIR ACTIVITY.
>> Reporter: FEELS LIKE
EVERYTHING THAT'S EVER BEEN IS
THERE.
THAT'S NOT REALLY THE CASE.
>> THIS IS A DIARY OF A RUSSIAN
GENERAL.
>> Reporter: IF YOU DIDN'T
DIGITIZE IT, HOW LONG WOULD THAT
LAST?
>> IT WOULD GET LOST IN TIME.
>> Reporter: IT'S AN INTERESTING
CHALLENGE.
HOW DO WE PRESERVE OUR HISTORY,
OUR KNOWLEDGE, OUR INFORMATION
IN A DIGITAL WORLD?
>> FIRST STEP, PUT IT ALL
ONLINE, JUST ALL OF IT.
>> Reporter: MOST INFORMATION
TODAY DOES GO DIRECTLY ONLINE.
BUT THE AVERAGE LIFE OF A WEB
PAGE IS ONLY 100 DAYS.
>> I THINK THERE'S THIS IDEA
ONCE IT'S ON THE INTERNET IT'S
THERE FOREVER.
THAT'S NOT REALLY TRUE.
>> NOT AT ALL.
>> Reporter: MARK GRAHAM IS THE
DIRECTOR OF THE WAY BACK
MACHINE, THE INTERNET ARCHIVES,
WELL, ARCHIVE OF THE INTERNET.
>> A STUDY DONE AT HARVARD, FOR
EXAMPLE, THAT LOOKED AT LINKS WE
USED IN SUPREME COURT OPINIONS
AND FOUND AFTER A FEW YEARS, 49%
OF THE LINKS NO LONGER RESOLVED
TO THE CONTENT.
>> Reporter: FOR THE OPINIONS OF
THE HIGHEST COURT IN THE LAND.
>> CORRECT.
>> Reporter: IS THE WAY BACK
MACHINE FIXING THAT?
>> WORKING ON IT.
>> Reporter: A TOOL FOR
ACCOUNTABILITY.
>> WE GOT THIS PHONE CALL FROM
SOMEONE AT GOOGLE WHO ASKED IF
WE HAD SEEN WHAT DONALD TRUMP
HAD JUST TWEETED.
>> Reporter: THE PRESIDENT HAD
TWEETED A VIDEO, ALLEGING GOOGLE
DIDN'T PROMOTE LAST YEAR'S STATE
OF THE UNION.
>> SO GOOGLE ASKED IF WE HAD A
COPY OF THE FRONT PAGE.
>> Reporter: THEY DON'T HAVE A
RECORD OF THAT?
>> THAT'S NOT THEIR JOB
NECESSARILY.
>> Reporter: IT IS A JOB FOR THE
WAY BACK MACHINE.
>> WE CAN SHOW IT WAS, IN FACT,
BEING PROMOTED.
>> Reporter: A MODERN DAY
RESOURCE THAT WILL HAVE MODERN
DAY CONSEQUENCES.
>> PEOPLE WILL GET A PASS FOR
SOME THINGS BUT I THINK THEY'LL
BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR OTHER
ASPECTS OF THEIR DIGITAL LIVES.
>> Reporter: FOR YOU THOSE
TRADE-OFFS ARE WORTH IT?
>> WE'RE ALL ADJUSTING TO A
DIGITAL WORLD.
>> Reporter: FOR "SUNDAY TODAY,"
DASHA BURNS.
>> DASHA, THANK YOU.