A regular library typically doesn’t have a section devoted to out-of-print video game magazines and promotional materials, but that’s a gap that the Video Game History Foundation is looking to fill next week when it opens the doors to its virtual library. The non-profit organization has been steadily collecting video game materials for several years, and its public library will be accessible starting January 30.
“After years of collecting, cataloging, and digitizing video game history materials, the VGHF is finally opening the virtual doors to its library–wherever you are,” the group said in a statement (via VGC). Some of the materials teased by the organization include high-resolution scans of Final Fantasy 7 artwork and more than 1,500 video game magazines.
The VGHF added that its library will be home to “never-before-seen game development materials,” and with powerful search options teased, it could become an invaluable resource for video game historians to make use of.
If you’re interested in seeing more of the VGHF’s work–and supporting its efforts to preserve the past–you can check out its main website for more details. The group has faced a few obstacles in its video game preservation mission, as last year, its petition to the US Copyright Office to allow libraries to share out-of-print video games in their possession with researchers remotely was denied.
The VGHF is one of several preservation efforts that have sprung up over the years, with one of the other notable examples being GOG’s program to keep classic video games compatible with current and next-gen systems. Xbox and PlayStation have also reportedly set up their own preservation programs for their game libraries.
