The Marxists Internet Archive (MIA, http://www.marxists.org/) is an all-volunteer, non-profit public library, started more than 20 years ago in 1990. In 2006, MIA averaged 1.1 million visitors per month, downloading 15.5 million files per month. This represents a 25% increase in visitors since 2005, and a 380% increase in visitors since 2000.

In 2007, MIA has 62 active volunteers from 33 different countries. MIA contains the writings of 592 authors representing a complete spectrum of political, philosophical, and scientific thought, generally spanning the past 200 years. MIA contains these writings in 45 different languages, comprising a total size of over 53,000 documents and 29 GB of data, all created through the work of volunteers around the world.

MIA abides by seven fundamental tenets found in our Charter: (1) We will always be 100% Free; (2) We will always be a non-profit organization; (3) We will always be based on democratic decision making; (4) We will always have full disclosure; (5) We will always remain politically independent; (6) Our priority is to provide archival information; (7) We will present content in a way that is easy to access and understand.

In 2007, we terminated our former practice of dividing all writers into Marxists and non-Marxists, and instead offer an index of Selected Marxist Writers in most language sections. The MIA aims to maintain an archive of any and all writings which are Marxist or relevant to the understanding of Marxism and can be lawfully published. In the past, some writers who have contributed to Marxism have expressed racist, sexist or other distasteful views. The MIA generally does not “filter out” such views; if we are archiving the work of a writer, any and all of that writer’s work may be included, within the limits imposed by the availability of a willing volunteer to transcribe the works and the impact of intellectual property laws. The MIA does not endorse any of the views expressed by any of the writers included here, which are provided solely for the information of the reader.