The Modern Journalist

I Hear These Archives Are Worth Something

There’s no need to belabor the point that archives are a treasure trove for sales. Technologists have long known that the past is a ripe source of information.

That was the core reason behind say, Napster’s popularity. (And if a college student knew that, possibly the rest of us knew that as well, with all due respect to Chris Anderson.)

Sports Illustrated, though, is launching The Vault, a comprehensive archive of all the articles that have ever been written for the magazine. I’m not sure how the rights issue will work out for them. The older the article, the harder it is to verify that you actually own all the rights to the work. Still, it’s a good move.

And if they are smart, they will allow people to assemble their favorite works into an on-demand publishing model, allowing customers to create their own books, filled with images — and words — that follow their favorite sports figures.

This accomplishes two things: it gives people a reason to return and stay on the site, and it capitalizes on what SI does best — content.