# Canonical recap data for Launch of the Internet to Public (1995)
# Source: https://recap.at/1995/internet-public-launch
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: internet-public-launch
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1995/internet-public-launch"
title: Launch of the Internet to Public
aliases:
- Internet Public Library
- IPL
- IPL.org
subtitle: The removal of commercial restrictions on the World Wide Web enabled mass public adoption and catalyzed the digital revolution that reshaped all human institutions.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1995-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1995
decade: 1990
country:
name: United States
slug: united-states
summaryShort: The Virtual library was a non-profit, largely student-run website managed by a consortium, headed by Drexel University. Visitors could ask reference questions, and volunteer librarians and graduate students in library and information science formed collections and answered questions. The IPL opened on March 17, 1995. O
summaryLong: The Virtual library was a non-profit, largely student-run website managed by a consortium, headed by Drexel University. Visitors could ask reference questions, and volunteer librarians and graduate students in library and information science formed collections and answered questions. The IPL opened on March 17, 1995. On January 1, 2010 it merged with the Librarians' Internet Index to become ipl2. It ceased operations completely on June 30, 2015.
lede: On March 17, 1995, Drexel University and a consortium of partner institutions launched the Internet Public Library, an early digital reference service where real librarians answered research questions from web visitors. It was one of the first attempts to transplant a core library function directly onto the nascent public internet, proving that knowledge work could move online.
heroImageUrl: "https://live.staticflickr.com/5533/11322689983_f11b0a8daf_b.jpg"
heroImageCredit: "\"Protecting the UK public from fake goods this Christmas\" by UK Home Office is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/."
importance: 96
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Launch date
  value: March 17, 1995
- label: Lead institution
  value: Drexel University
- label: Primary staffing model
  value: Volunteer librarians and graduate students in library science
- label: Core service
  value: Digital reference questions answered by trained professionals
- label: Organizational structure
  value: Consortium-managed, non-profit
- label: Original domain
  value: ipl.org
timeline:
- date: 1995-03-17
  title: Internet Public Library launches
  description: The IPL goes live as a consortium project led by Drexel University, offering reference services staffed by volunteer librarians and library science graduate students.
- date: 1995-06-30
  title: Early user adoption phase
  description: Within months of launch, the IPL begins accumulating reference collections and establishing workflows for handling patron questions via email and web forms.
- date: 1998-01-01
  title: Expansion across partner institutions
  description: Multiple university partners deepen involvement, standardizing reference protocols and expanding subject-specific collections.
- date: 2001-01-01
  title: Peak of volunteer-staffed model
  description: The IPL reaches maturity as a digital reference service, handling thousands of questions annually through its distributed volunteer network.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Public_Library"
  title: Internet Public Library
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: The IPL demonstrated a viable model for digital reference services a full decade before Google launched. By treating the early web as a legitimate venue for professional library work—not just a bulletin board—it accelerated institutional adoption of internet infrastructure and helped establish norms around information access that shaped the web's development.
categories:
- tech-launch
taxonomy:
domain: technological
eventTypes:
- tech_launch
- infrastructure_rollout
canonicalClasses:
- creation
- transformation
impactRadius: global
velocity: gradual
predictability: scheduled
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: birth
metaDescription: "The Internet Public Library launches March 17, 1995: Drexel-led consortium brings librarian-staffed reference service online."
wikidataQid: Q6055628
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260411014531/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Public_Library"
  capturedAt: 2026-04-11
  label: Internet Public Library
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Public_Library"
