Significance: a guide to assessing the significance of cultural heritage objects and collections (2001) was well received by the museums and galleries domains, and its methodology has been used strategically by many collecting organisations. The book is used as the basis for education and training courses within collecting organisations and also in universities, and for non-accredited courses for collections practitioners. Click here to see Significance on the Collections Australia Network.

The Significance publication now requires revision to incorporate refinements in methodology, to extend its relevance from museums and galleries to archives and libraries, and to update references (e.g. to acknowledge the development of the Collections Australia Network from Australian Museums and Galleries Online).

A second edition will provide the opportunity to locate the concept in a ‘sustainable heritage’ context, (e.g. greater exploration of whole collection case studies), and to include additional images and case studies, particularly from the library and archives domains.

With changes in technology there are also new, cost effective ways of delivering a second edition of Significance to audiences that build upon experience gathered in the implementation of the first edition of Significance since 2001.

A second edition of Significance will be promoted to communities as a timely way of capturing their heritage by determining the significance of whole collections and single collection items (at local / regional / state / national / international levels) before information is lost due to population and technological changes.