Digitisation program - current priorities
In 2008-09 the Library will digitise approximately 14,000 collection items. Below is an overview of the Library's planned digitisation program for each collection area. The digitised items can be accessed through the Library's catalogue or the Digital Collections webpages. For detailed information about what has been digitised in the previous years see Digitisation - overview and Pictures, Maps, Sheet Music, Manuscripts, Books and Serials and Oral History for information on progress with digitisation of the individual collections.
Pictures Collection – target 9,750 items
The Pictures material to be digitised in 2008-09 includes both recent and previously acquired collection materials. It is anticipated that digitisation of the following Pictures collections will be completed in their entirety this year:
- Great Barrier Reef Expedition, 1928-1929
- Collection of lantern slides of views of Australia, 1873-1900
- Sarah Chinnery photographic collection of New Guinea, England and Australia
- Kristian Fredrikson collection of costume designs for the performing arts, 1996-2001
- Axel Poignant's exhibition photographs, 1922-1980
- Russ Ashton photographic collection
In addition a selection of items from the following collections will be digitised:
- Wolfgang Sievers photographic archive, 1938-1991
- Stan Cross archive of cartoons and drawings, 1912-1974
Maps Collection – target 1,540 items
In 2008-09 work will continue on cataloguing and digitising the Library’s Map collections, in particular the Rare Map collection and selected other maps including:
- The large English atlas, or, A new set of maps of all the counties in England and Wales
- British Admiralty Charts of Australian waters, 1814-1891
- Johnston, British Admiralty Charts Special Collection
- Federal Capital Proposed Sites Special Map Collection
- Ferguson Sales Plans collection
- Parish maps
Printed music collection – target 860 items
Printed music in the following categories will be digitised in 2008-09:
- sheet music with Australian content published between 1900-1940
- albums from pre 1900 to 1940s
- Australian music series (anthologies) published between 1900-1939
Overseas Books and Serials Collection – target 150 items
London Missionary Society Collection, which totals 683 rare and fragile items, will continue to be digitised for long term preservation.
Oral History and Folklore collection – target 1,400 item
A selection of analogue recordings from the Oral History and Folklore Collection will be digitised under the Library's long term plan to convert the whole of its audio collection into digital format.
Newspapers – target 1,000,000 pages
A selection of newspapers will be digitised under the Australian Newspaper Digitisation Program. For more details see http://www.nla.gov.au/ndp/selected_newspapers/.
Treasures Gallery
In addition, a number of items from the Rare Books and Manuscript collections will be digitised in 2008-09 in preparation for being exhibited in the Library’s Treasures Gallery, currently under development.
