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ISSN 1039-3498 | no. 46 | August 2000
Digitisation enhances access to collections
The National Librarys current Directions for 20002002 (www.nla.gov.au/library/directions.html) has as one of its key goals that All Australians, at their place of choice, have direct, seamless access to print and electronic sources of information.
A key strategy in achieving this goal is the digitisation of Australian original material in the Librarys collection. To guide the Librarys progress in digitisation, a policy statement (National Library of Australia Digitisation Policy 20002004) has been developed and is now available on the National Librarys web site (www.nla.gov.au/policy/digitisation.html).
The policy sets out the principles behind the Librarys digitisation activities, and identifies the primary purpose of these activities as enhancing access to the Librarys collections, while assisting the preservation of rare and fragile items. In addition, the policy provides details on the criteria the Library will use to select items for digitisation and about access to digitised collections.
As well as digitising a wide range of materials from its own collections, the Library will seek opportunities to collaborate with other institutions on digitisation projects where a mutual interest exists.
The Library has recently developed an Australian digitisation project section within the Australian Libraries Gateway (www.nla.gov.au/libraries/digitisation). The broad aim of this new section is to record and make available on the web information about digitisation projects within the Australian cultural community.
If your organisation is undertaking digitisation projects, you will find a form on which you can record these details at www.nla.gov.au/libraries/digitisation/projects.html. There is also information about the types of projects which are suitable for this listing, and those which are generally excluded.
Printed copies of the Librarys Digitisation Policy are available
from Sandra Henderson (shenders@nla.gov.au),
telephone (02) 6262 1481. Queries or requests for additional information
about the Australian Libraries Gateway digitisation projects section may
be sent to alg@nla.gov.au.
Sandra Henderson
Please address any comments and enquiries to The Editor, Gateways: gateways@nla.gov.au