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National Preservation Office
Towards Federation 2001 Resolutions


Introduction

Many of the resolutions from the Towards Federation 2001 Review Meeting describe activities which had already been identified as being the responsibility of the National Preservation Office. Those that were not previously identified are now incorporated into the NPO's Operational Plan. The following summarises progress to date.


Towards Federation 2001 Review Meeting - Progress Report on Resolutions for which the NPO has the Main Carriage

RESOLUTION: RG1 (a) promote the importance of adding information on preservation intentions to records on the NBD

Carriage of Resolution: NPO

Review Meeting Timetable: Promotion commenced by July 1994

Progress: The new standards for entering preservation data onto ABN, which were developed by the ABN Standards Committee, have been endorsed by the ABN Committee. These standards cover the cataloguing of microform masters and information relating to preservation intentions. Subsequent activities to promote the importance of placing such data onto the NBD have included: an article in NLA Gateways (September 1994 issue) and national distribution of a flier to community groups announcing the willingness of the National Library of Australia to assist small libraries and other collecting institutions enter such data (July 1994). The ACT Preservation Microfilming Discussion Group has agreed to accept some responsibility for advocating the use of these standards. Information about ABN standards will be posted on the DNC-list in the near future.

RESOLUTION: RG1 (b) coordinate and promote the development of national preservation plans for documentary heritage in all formats, which acknowledge the independent programs and responsibilities of all organisations; these include the NFSA's continuing development of a national plan for audio-visual media, and CASL's existing plan for Australian newspapers, and foreshadowed plans for Australian journals.

Carriage of Resolution: NPO in consultation with AA and NFSA

Review Meeting Timetable: ongoing

Progress: This resolution, when passed, at the Towards Federation 2001 Review Meeting gave prime carriage to the NPO but indicated that it should be carried out in consultation with Australian Archives and the National Film and Sound Archive, and with the involvement of the Heritage Collections Committee (HCC). At that time Jan Lyall was not a member of the Conservation Working Group of the HCC. Now that she sits on that Working Group, the strategy for acting on this resolution has altered.

'A 'National Conservation and Preservation Policy for Movable Cultural Heritage' has been developed and was published by the HCC in September. The Conservation Working Party of the Heritage Collections Committee will hold a Public Forum to develop a national strategy for the conservation and preservation of Australia's movable cultural heritage between 9.00 am and 6.00 pm on 30 October 1996. It will be held at the Powerhouse Museum, 500 Harris Street Ultimo NSW . For further information, contact:

Deirdre Brocklebank
GPO Box 2154 Canberra ACT 2601
Tel.:(02) 6279 1679
Fax:(02) 6279 1684
e-mail: dbrockle@dca.gov.au

The NPO assists in the promotion of the National Plan for Newspapers and has assisted the DNC Office with establishing a Model for the Recording of Preservation and Conservation Activity on Conspectus.

RESOLUTION: RG2 actively encourage and promote the use of permanent paper and other suitable materials for documents likely to form part of the Australian documentary heritage

Carriage of Resolution: NPO, AA, FLIN

Review Meeting Timetable: ongoing

Progress: Kits describing various properties of permanent papers and identifying the names and availability of these papers have been distributed to approximately 2,000 publishers. Returned questionnaires from these kits are being analysed. Staff from the Printing Section of AGPS have agreed to cooperate in keeping information about suppliers up to date. A strategy is being developed to target writers informing them of the properties and availability of permanent paper. The Australian and New Zealand standard for permanent paper AS/NZS 4003 has been circulated as a committee draft. It is anticipated that the standard will be published before the end of 1996. Following the release of the standard, efforts will be devoted to its wide promotion. Particular emphasis will be directed towards the paper industry and writers.

RESOLUTION: RG5 establish a working party to develop guidelines for the management of material in electronic format, building on work already done by the Australian Archives and the ACLIS Task Force on the Preservation of Australian Electronic Information.

Carriage of Resolution: AA, ACLIS, NPO, NFSA

Review Meeting Timetable: preliminary discussions by June 1994

Progress: 'Australian Archives assumed carriage of this resolution. The Working Group held its first meeting on 3 November 1994 and aims and terms of reference were developed. The development of guidelines is currently taking place.

RESOLUTION: RE5 establish a joint working party to recommend an effective strategy for dealing with the issue of continued access to materials in formats for which the access technology has become obsolete.

Carriage of Resolution: NPO, NFSA, AA, ACLIS

Review Meeting Timetable: working party established by June 1994; strategy by June 1995

Progress: Informal discussions with the NFSA indicate that it has accepted the carriage of this resolution and anticipates forming a working party, including representation from the NPO. Considering the considerable overlap of this resolution with the issues associated with RG5, it would be sensible to include this topic in the proposed meeting to be convened by the NLA.


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Last updated 6 January 1997

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