Research from the Comfort of your Home
Access non-digitized documents through a livestream to replace traditional travel
1. Select your Collections
Identify the collections and documents you want to access through ArcLive
Schedule your Livestream
Contact the ArcLive team to schedule the time that works best for you
Conduct your Research
A research assistant broadcasts the collections in real time, under your command
Work at your Own Pace
Conduct your research part-time as you earn money from your job, or work with multiple archives in different timezones for 60-hour work weeks. Avoid using your phone as a camera by gaining real-time access as you require it.
Worldwide Access
Access non-digitized documents from hundreds of collections around the world at half the cost of flying internationally.
No More Jet Lag
Replace the 20-hour international flight with something more productive. Be at your best and skip the jet lag during your research by working from the comfort of your own home.
The Next Generation of Open Access
Less than 10% of archival documents are available online. ArcLive digitizes on demand with little to no waste.
Half the Cost of Traditional Research
ArcLive charges a predictable hourly rate, allowing you to manage your research budget and get the most for your money.
Historical Significance Comes First
Conduct research based on historical relevance and value rather than geographic location.
Frequently Asked Questions
We've compiled a list of answers to common questions.
ArcLive is a Remote Visitation Service for researchers to access non-digitized documents in real-time, replacing traditional travel at half the cost. Our research assistants use desk-mounted scanners to temporarily livestream historical documents in real time. This method eliminates traditional digitization and travel costs while staying within the legal requirements of copyright and fair use.
Remote Visitation is a tool which can be used to visit an archive through a surrogate research assistant. This type of access falls under the same restrictions that would normally apply to physically visiting an archive. For example, remote visitations may only occur during business hours, an assistant must manage the documents at all times, and no permanent digital copies may be created for unlimited public access.
Livestreams will be hosted by fully-trained industry professionals who have experience with rare and historical documents. Special precautions are taken to ensure that documents aren’t damaged and remain safe within their hosting institution.
Our main scanner of choice is the Elmo MX-1, a high-resolution 4k document scanner commonly used in the classroom. The scanner will be run by an Eluktronics Pro-X laptop, one of the few laptops that can allow for 4K resolution livestreams. The camera will never directly touch the documents, and the built-in light will never be turned on.
Yes, remote visitation is perfectly legal.
ArcLive has been specifically designed to ensure that all copyright and fair use regulations are followed, and qualifies as an accessibility tool due to:
- Livesteams may only be conducted during normal archive visiting hours
- A trained research assistant must host and manage the livestream at all times
- The livesteam is fully encrypted and may only have 2 participants (host, and researcher)
- No screenshots or permanent digital copies of documents can be made without permission from the hosting institute
These restrictions prevent any of the abuses that may occur with perminent digitization and hosting of copyrighted documents,
while still allowing hosting institutions to increase international accessibility to their collections.
It is a violation of our terms of service to produce copies, permanently digitize or publicly share any documents without approval.
ArcLive is designing its livestreaming software to include alpha compositing channels hidden in the background. If a screenshot of permanent copy of a document is ever made, we can easily detect the exact time, date and source of that image to punish those responsible.
From there, legal action may be taken and the individual responsible will be permanently banned from using the ArcLive service.
The ArcLive service will first be launching in Boston, MA and scale to other urban areas across the United States.
In the future, we plan to also spread to rural areas and internationally.