Article

Where Is 60 Years of Data, Information, and Knowledge One Year After USAID Was Fed “Into the Wood Chipper”?

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Abstract

When the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was dismantled in early 2025, groups and individuals mobilized to rescue information resources created by staff and partners. The patchwork of federal laws, policies, and guidance, combined with a lack of compliance enforcement, meant that preservation of the agency’s legacy through official channels was in question. The USAID Knowledge Rescue effort, along with partner organizations and other volunteers, has formed a decentralized network to preserve and provide public access to over sixty years’ worth of the agency’s data, information, and knowledge. This article provides a snapshot of the progress and challenges faced by those involved in rescuing USAID’s information. The USAID Knowledge Rescue effort has captured over 274,000 materials, made 136,000 available to the public, and is building a digital repository to ensure public access. Other organizations and individuals have mirrored websites and rescued data and information resources that are now hosted on a variety of different online sites. Unsurprisingly, former USAID partners played a key role in rescuing information resources and providing continued access. The current political climate in the US and USAID’s experience during 2025 suggest that federal agencies and organizations would benefit from having a knowledge “living will” or legacy plan to ensure the preservation of data, information, and knowledge—these would include inventories and contingency plans with the aim of ensuring public information continues to be accessible and is preserved.

Keywords: USAID, Knowledge Rescue, Guerrilla Archiving, Data Rescue

How to Cite: Torres, T. & Baquet, Z. (2026) “Where Is 60 Years of Data, Information, and Knowledge One Year After USAID Was Fed “Into the Wood Chipper”?”, The Political Librarian. 9(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.7936/pollib.9286

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