National Library of Australia


Agreement Between Northern Territory University Library and Northern Territory Library Service for the Co-operative Collecting of Library Materials on North Australia

THIS AGREEMENT is made on the nineth day of December 1993 BETWEEN NORTHERN TERRITORY UNIVERSITY LIBRARY AND NORTHERN TERRITORY LIBRARY SERVICE

  1. Definitions
  2. Collecting Responsibilities
  3. Co-operation in Acquisition of Library Material
  4. Period of Agreement
  5. Reporting on Progress of Agreement
  6. Accessibility
  7. Cataloguing
  8. Retention
  9. Disasters
  10. Promotion
  11. Modification or Termination of the Agreement

1. Definitions

1.1 In this Agreement,

"Library material" means printed matter, manuscripts, and audio-visual material collected by either party for the purpose of providing information to library users

"NTU Library" means the Northern Territory University Library

"NTLS" means the Northern Territory Library Service

"Collecting levels" - the following definitions are those recommended to Australian Council of Libraries and Information Services (ACLIS) in 1989 by its National Task Force on Conspectus for adoption as the Australian standard for descriptions of collections:

Level 0 - Out of scope
No collecting.

Level 1 - Minimal
A collection for which few selections are made beyond introductory/very basic material.

Level 2 - Basic information
A collection of up-to-date materials which serves to introduce and define a subject and to indicate the varieties of information available elsewhere. It may include dictionaries, encyclopaedias, access to appropriate bibliographic databases, standard and significant works, handbooks, manuals, films, sound recordings and a few popular or major serials. A basic information collection can support general inquiries, school and some undergraduate instruction and information at a popular level, but is not sufficiently intensive to support advanced undergraduate courses.

Level 3 - Intermediate
A collection containing a broad range of resources adequate to support undergraduate and most graduate instruction, sustained independent study, work-based interests or specialised inquiries; that is, adequate to impart and maintain a knowledge of a subject in a systematic way at less than research intensity. It includes a wide range of basic works in appropriate formats, the fundamental reference sources and bibliographic works, a significant number of classic retrospective materials, complete collections of the works of more important authors, selections from the works of secondary writers, a selection of representative journals and access to appropriate databases.

Level 4 - Research
A collection containing both current and retrospective resources, with historical material retained. such a collection supports postgraduate and independent research and includes the major published source materials required. It includes all important reference works, a wide selection of specialised monographs, a very extensive collection of journals and immediate access to bibliographies, abstracting and indexing services in the field, materials containing research findings and non-bibliographic databases. The collection will provide materials in all appropriate formats and languages, including original materials and ephemera.

Level 5 - Comprehensive
A collection which includes, as far as is reasonably possible, all significant works of recorded knowledge (publications, manuscripts, other forms) in all applicable languages, for a necessarily defined and limited field. This level of collecting intensity is one that maintains a special collection; the aim, if not the achievement, is exhaustiveness.

2. Collecting Responsibilities

2.1 The NTU Library's Djorra' Djagamirri Collection consists of published and unpublished materials dealing with North Australia, Eastern Indonesia and the contiguous maritime and land areas. It is a broad interdisciplinary collection reflecting the University's wide interests in the anthropology, history, geography, health, geology, literature, language, trade, religion, government and other aspects of the region. The collection comprises monographs, serials, newspapers, theses, manuscripts, microforms and audiovisual material. Ephemera is only collected if it relates to major social issues. The collection is "informational" with an emphasis on comprehensive coverage of print and non print publications and unpublished reports in the original format or facsimile: original rare volumes are not a priority. In support of the distributed national collection all titles are catalogued on the National Bibliographic Database on Libraries Australia .

The region covered by the collection comprises the North Australian coastline from Broome to Thursday Island, the Northern Territory and contiguous land and maritime areas including Christmas and Cocos Islands, and the Eastern provinces of Indonesia (Nusa Tenggara Barat, Nusa Tenggara Timur, East Timor, Maluku, Irian Jaya, Sulawesi) and the Arafura and Timor seas. Contact between the peoples, ecosystems and geologies of the region is a major theme.

This notion of contact is best expressed by the name of the collection and database, Djorra' Djagamirri, which is taken from yolngu-Matha, the language of North East Arnhem Land, and means "to care for documents". The words are derived from the Makassan language with djorra' originating in the Arabic sura. They were adopted into the Aboriginal languages during the centuries of contact between the peoples of North East Arnhem Land and Makassar (now called Sulawesi).

The collection aspires to level 5G, comprehensive, but the overall current collecting level is in the range 3G - 4G. Both current and retrospective material is purchased.

2.1.1 Collecting levels for current materials in each subject area are specified below:

General Information

Reference works                                                    5     
Library Science                                                    5     
Newspapers, magazines, general journalism                          5     
Statistical information                                            5     
Trade, communication, transport                                    5     
Cartographic materials, cartography                                5     
General geography and travel                                       5     
Biography                                                          5     
Household management, hobbies, sports                              3     
The paranormal                                                     5     
Cultural material                                                  5     

The Social Sciences

Education                                                          5     
Sociology, social phenomena, social issues                         5     
Anthropology, folklore, customs, etiquette                         5     
Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders                             5     
Economics                                                          5     
Government and public administration                               5     
Management                                                         5     
Law                                                                5     

Science and Technology

General and historical aspects of science and technology           5     
Natural resources                                                  5     
Natural history                                                    5     
Computing                                                          4     
Mathematics                                                        4     
The physical sciences                                              5     
Biology, medicine, agriculture                                     5     
Engineering and technology                                         5     

Arts and Humanities

Philosophy                                                         5     
Religion                                                           5     
Language                                                           5     
The visual arts                                                    5     
Architecture, landscape art, town planning                         5     
Film and video                                                     5     
Music                                                              5     
The performing arts                                                5     
Literature                                                         5     
History                                                            5     

 

2.2 The Northern Australia Collection of the State Library of the Northern Territory is the de facto deposit library for the Northern Territory, and has accepted the responsibility of collecting and preserving the Territory's written heritage. As such, the acquisition and preservation of original material is considered of importance but, in the absence of such material, the Northern Australia Collection will endeavour to obtain copies, whether reprints, photocopies or microforms.

On the Northern Territory, the Northern Australia collection acquires all material written by a Territorian, published in the Territory or about the territory (this includes Christmas Island (Indian Ocean), the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Ashmore and Cartier Islands which are within the Federal electorate of the Northern Territory).

Accordingly, the Northern Australian Collection concentrates on exhaustive collecting on all aspects of the Northern Territory, but also collects at different levels material dealing with Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland. In these three states collecting is done in all areas adjoining the Northern Territory borders, but also:

2.2.1 With regard to format, the following are collected:

The following are the collecting levels generally adopted.

General Information          NT       WA/SA/QLD                

Reference works         		5            4                     
Library science                         5            2                     
Newspapers, general magazines,          5            2                     
journalism                                                                 
Statistical information                 5            3                     
Trade, communication, transport         5            2                     
Cartographic material, cartography      5            0                     
General geography & travel          	5            4                     
Biography                               5            4                     
Household management, hobbies, sport    5            3                     
The paranormal                          5            2                     

Social Sciences               NT       WA/SA/QLD                 

Education                               5            2                     
Sociology, social phenomena, social     5            3                     
issues                                                                     
Anthropology, folklore, customs,        5            4                     
etiquette                                                                  
Economics                               5            3                     
Government & public administration      5            3                     
Management                              5            3                     
Law                                     5            2                     

Science and Technology        NT       WA/SA/QLD                 

General and historical aspects of       5            3                     
science & technology                                                       
Computing                               5            1                     
Mathematics                             4            2                     
Physical sciences                       5            3                     
Biology, medicine, agriculture          5            3                     
Engineering and technology              5            3                     

Arts and Humanities           NT       WA/SA/QLD                 

Philosophy                              5            2                     
Religion                                5            3                     
Language                                5            3                     
Visual arts                             5            3                     
Architecture, landscape art, town       5            3                     
planning                                                                   
Film and video                          5            2                     
Music                                   5            2                                 
Performing arts                         5            2                     
Literature                              5            3                     
History                                 5            4                     

 

3. Co-operation in Acquisition of Library Material

3.1 The NTLS and the NTU Library agree to co-operate in the acquisition of library material relating to the region in cases where both libraries require the same material. This will be achieved by consultation on acquisition arrangements, with a view to accommodating the needs of each party where this is considered practicable.

4. Period of Agreement

4.1 The NTU Library and the NTLS agree to undertake the levels of collecting specified above for a period of five (5) years or until the Agreement is earlier terminated in accordance with Clause 11.

5. Reporting on Progress of Agreement

5.1 The NTLS and the NTU Library agree to review the progress of the Agreement after each year of operation.

6. Accessibility

6.1 The NTU Library and the NTLS agree to allow access to the library material to users on the conditions that apply to address to the Dhjorra' Djagamirri Collection and the Northern Australia Collection.

6.2 The NTU Library and the NTLS agree to allow access to the library material by way of interlibrary loan upon such conditions as apply to lending or copying of material from the Dhjorra' Djagamirri Collection and the Northern Australia collection.

7. Cataloguing

7.1 The NTLS and the NTU Library agree to catalogue all library material acquired in accordance with this Agreement within six (6) months of acquisition.

7.2 In regard to materials collected in accordance with this Agreement, the NTLS and the NTU Library agree to add catalogue records to the Australian Bibliographic Network (ABN) in accordance with the standards for full record cataloguing determined by the Australian Bibliographic Network.

8. Retention

8.1 The NTU Library and the NTLS agree to retain all library materials acquired for the duration of the Agreement.

8.2 The NTU Library and the NTLS agree to provide suitable housing for the library material, consistent with the standards for preservation used for the collections of the NTLS and the NTU Library.

9. Disasters

9.1 The NTLS and the NTU Library are to cooperate in contingency planning for disasters, in identifying and establishing resources to respond to disasters and in responding to disasters which may affect the Djorra' Djagamirri collection and/or the Northern Australia Collection.

10. Promotion

10.1 The NTU Library and the NTLS agree to promote their collecting of North Australian library materials and to encourage use of each other's collection of library material as appropriate for effective research use of the collections.

10.2 The NTU Library and the NTLS agree to publicise the Agreement in the context of the Distributed National Collection.

11. Modification or Termination of the Agreement

11.1 The NTLS and the NTU Library agree to inform the other party of any intention to modify or terminate the Agreement during the period of the Agreement.

11.2 This Agreement may be terminated by either party by giving one calendar month's notice of intention to terminate to the other party.

11.3 In the event of one party modifying or terminating the Agreement, the NTLS and the NTU Library agree to cooperate in ensuring that existing collections continue to be maintained and made accessible within Australia, and in encouraging continuity of collecting within Australia in accordance with the principles of the Distributed National Collection.

SIGNED for and on behalf of the Northern Territory Library Service by Jillian Beswick in the presence of Cheryl Gargan, 14 January 1994

SIGNED for and on behalf of the Northern Territory University by Alex Byrne in the presence of Oliver Mann, 9 December 1993


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Last modified: May 07 2009.