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ISSN 1443-0568 | no. 40 | August 1999


NLA at work

PADI online forum on the way

PADI team

Members of the PADI team (from left)Adrian La Palombara, Hilary Berthon, Susan Newbery, Deborah Woodyard

A rapidly rising proportion of our cultural heritage is now being created in digital form. When coupled with the current high level of investment by cultural organisations in digitisation projects, it is easy to understand that we need urgently to find ways of managing and preserving access to this material. While media deterioration causes those responsible for preserving digital collections some concern, relentless changes in information technologies threaten to render digital materials rapidly inaccessible— as United States researcher, Jeff Rothenberg says, ‘held hostage to their own encoding’.

In response to a growing recognition of the need to safeguard digital heritage, the National Library of Australia set up its Preserving Access to Digital Information (PADI) Web site in 1997 at http://www.nla.gov.au/padi/ . The result of a new initiative to redevelop this site into a comprehensive ‘subject gateway’ providing efficient access to selected digital preservation resources will be available from late October 1999.

The PADI Web site currently provides information about many issues associated with digital preservation. It links to policies developed by institutions addressing the management of digital material, international research, and develop-ments in standards. Information and news about digital preservation and links to relevant conferences are also provided.

Cooperation has played a crucial role in the PADI initiative that has been carried out in partnership with Australian and international experts who form an advisory group. PADI already operates as a ‘virtual forum’ for the exchange of information in areas such as the implementation of legal deposit for electronic publications, permanent naming of networked electronic publications, and digital preservation policy. Commenc-ing in October, a news and online forum area will provide an opportunity for PADI to enhance its role as a focus for information sharing and cross-sectoral collaboration.

The National Library invites all those with an interest in ensuring continuing access to digital information to visit the PADI Web site: http://www.nla.gov.au/padi/ and to participate in the PADI online forum from late October.


| Contents list for this issue of Gateways |

Please address any comments and enquiries to The Editor, Gateways: lkirwan@nla.gov.au

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