Updated on Monday 1 September 2008

The Collections Council’s work with respect to digital heritage collections includes:

• Advocacy of the Collections Australia Network and Libraries Australia as major portals for access to Australia’s digital heritage collections.

• Hosting of a national Summit on Digital Collections, August 2006. Click HERE to read the working papers, and several presentations from the Summit. A final report on the Summit was finalised in August 2008, and is available by clicking HERE.

• Publication of an ‘exposure draft’ of the Australian Framework and Action Plan for Digital Heritage Collections, July 2007. Click HERE to read the ‘exposure draft’. The Collections Council is grateful to all who responded to this draft, and is currently revising the document in the light of comments received. The Council has engaged Mr Darren Peacock of Sweet Technology P/L to assist with reshaping the document. Two new documents relating to the Australian Framework for Digital Heritage Collections are expected to be published later in 2008 - a Development Plan, and an Advocacy Plan. Click HERE to read an overview of the Council's advocacy of A national strategy for digital heritage collections (1 September 2008).

• Preparation of applications for funding to support the implementation of the Development and Advocacy Plans.

• Preparation of submissions to public forums such as the Australia 2020 Summit and the Review of the National Innovation System. Click HERE to read our submissions. 

• Contributions to discussions that inform publications such as Building a Creative Innovation Economy, a report of the Cultural Mnisters Council. 

• Development and endorsement of ten Principles to guide the development of digital heritage collections. Click HERE to read the Principles.

• Compilation of a Glossary of terms that provides definitions for the terminology used to discuss digital heritage collections. Click HERE to access the Glossary.

• Design and advocacy of CollectionsCare, a proposed system of professional support for collections in regional and remote parts of Australia. If funded, CollectionsCare will stimulate the digitisation of more collections and their online publication. Click HERE to read about the CollectionsCare proposal.

• Collaboration as an ‘industry partner’ with the University of South Australia on a research project entitled Building a business model framework for sustaining digital heritage collections in Australian archives, galleries, libraries and museums. This proposal was considered by the Australian Research Council in Round 2 of the 2007 Linkage grants round, but unfortunately did not attract ARC funding.

• Participation in discussion with peak bodies in the collections sector on matters arising from the Summit and from other initiatives.