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ALIA Dreaming 08 – Fri AM Plenary – Stephen Abram

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Big Stuff – Library Challenges – Stephen Abram – Sirsi-Dynix Institute

We need to tell good stories – tell each other about the good things that happen, not the bad, which is what we usually do.

Stephen said that our stuff is awesome, we are in good standing amongst the libraries of the world. We need to let go of the nostalgia. Change has been really slow relatively speaking, especially compared to the baby busters. Big changes coming, which will be fun if you like riding a roller coaster.

What are we going to do to get good results for our users – how can we negate the skewed results of search engine optimisation – where anyone can make sure their content, true or not, lists high in results.

Some people have 40 year careers. Ensure it is 40 years of incrementally better years, not just the same thing year after year. Choose to make the difference. You need to put your meat in the game = professionals commit.

Libraries matter – the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grants is just one example. Stephen gave a long list of examples where librarians are making a real difference, doing things that get people connected to the net and to the information they need, saving money, saving lives, saving our culture and our history and so much more. We need to tell our government about the competitive edge that libraries give Australia. Who do you think built Yahoo – librarians were pulled in to make it work.

What is the competitive advantage we have in our environment? The difference between us the internet is us – sensitive, intelligent, helpful – we are not a list. Put ourselves out there, with photo and social networking profile. Show who we are as well as what we can do.

DREAM BIG – start small, but dream big.

We dont know every little moment of truth that happens in the library. We can be the human touch for people. We may never know the difference we make to each individual.

Democracies persist because of libraries. Its not coincidence that libraries are often the first casualty of war. Librarians protect freedom of information, giving access to all, regardless of what our opinion of it is – we are truly bipartisan.

We have to learn the things that are making a difference, improving service to our users. If you dont want to learn, then get out of the profession.

We are a global profession, a bottomless network. Every librarian has hundreds of moments of truth, where we fight for our freedom, save lives, cure disease, challenge poverty and ignorance. Not dreaming 08, but dreaming big. Say yes every chance you get, encourage others and dont get discouraged. Those who say it cant be done, get out of the way of those who are already doing the impossible.

We are about books, we dont have to advertise that, what we do need to advertise is that we have people who can help you with just about anything. Show who we are and what we can do.

Web 2.0 is about things you can do and people you know. When you go online do you see people you know. You need to be where your users are, otherwise you are on a march to irrelevance.

Stuff will change faster now – by 2020, all content ever created will fit on an iPod. Video games outsell most content combined, ringtones are huge! Pocket size devices will dominate, the devices coming out are about having ubiquitous access on your person.

New? Semantic web, the cloud, no choice search engines, GIS oriented search, virtually unlimited fulltext books, streaming media and spoken word search, personalisation 3.0, microblogging, registries and so much more.

Normal now is RSS, blogs, YouTube, social networks tagging, wikis, SEO and GIS. If libraries arent involved in that, then they are behind. Resist the library culture of poverty, victimisation, risk aversion and passive resistance. We have to pass the chasm of early adopters and into the space of early majority. We have a technology lifecycle, we have to get on the curve early and stay there.

If we dont get into social networking, then we are going to miss it when they progress to the next stage – this is just the tip of the iceberg.

So what should libraries be paying attention to? The user-centred universe, be more open to users paths. A few things to do right away – the time is now! Need to play, pilot, trial, experiment. Mobile is important, confirm your presence, be where your users are, how your presence appear – personal,, professional; get good at the cloud (where users are going), play at e-books, get serious at literacy (dont use that term for users) and check out XML, get serious about e-learning, care about our cultures, just expand, know that most physical objects are dead, get real about influence, the next generation content.

Humans are our competitive edge. Be open to lifelong learning, our careers have seasons, need to have reciprocal mentoring – peers, be important, we can invent the future and make a difference. Just have some fun! Dream big!

ALIA Dreaming 08 – PM Concurrent Session – Debra Rosenfeldt

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Connecting with the community: strategies to help public libraries better engage with hard to reach groups – Debra Rosenfeldt

Approximately 60% of Australians use public libraries. 50% of public library users visit weekly, 90% borrow books mainly, 37% use computers, 46% get information, 61% for social ontact and 50% to meet new people.

Why dont the other 40% use public libraries. Original LBC study showed that 27% dont use them for lifestyle reasons. 13% dont use libraries but have much to gain by doing so. The study aimed at finding more about this 13%.

Had to choose groups – criteria were universality, achievability, policy connectedness, research efficiency and coverage. The groups identified were indigenous, disadvantaged young people, Horn of Africa communities, low income families, vulnerable learners.
The groups were not mutually exclusive.

Searched out the groups that worked for them and with them, consulted with them, conducted literature reviews and more. Each target group had a report produced about them. Principles of engagement were developed – which included awareness, engagement collections-programs-services, policies-procedures, customer service.

In future, the SLV estimates that this group will drop down to as low as 8% of non-library users.

Summary of Horn of Africa – most arrived since 99, 20,000 in Victoria mainly in 4 municipalities, from many countries with many languages. Many come on refugee and humanitarian services. Limited access to government service, had little education, training and work experience, young people are caught between cultures and domestic violence, health and gambling are also issues.

Focus groups identified 4 key areas where libraries could help which were: a conduit for information about government and community services, help them with IT skills, access to computers and the internet connections to the broader community.

Factors influencing library use; awareness was low, but those aware were good users limited collections, difficulties in joining libraries and behavioural policies, sensitivity of library staff to their difficulty in asking for assistance.

Public library staff suggested that collaboration between the serving libraries could help improve service to this group, as would partnerships with groups involved with them. That libraries should provide computers with arabic keyboards and employ a staff member from that background.

Followed up with workshops for library staff. The six year project has now come to a close but the work is ongoing.

Question: whats next? Work in public libraries will continue, the SLV is about to start a new piece of research on the economic benefit of pubic libraries.

ALIA Dreaming 08 – Thur PM Concurrent Session – Jack L Goodman

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We would if we could but its not in the Budget… success stories in third-party funding for public library programs – Jack L Goodman Tutoring Australasia

Why public libraries need partnerships- maintaining relevance requires innovation, which needs resources – which means money. Public libraries have many users, tight budgets, have little state support and no commonwealth funding. But just in case……

Why are partnerships possible – Public libraries have a unique position in their communities where we leverage the corporate social responsibility trend. We can partner with businesses, education, not for profits, clubs and more.

Example – Fairfield City Library Service – first Your Tutor customer in 2003, begun with local club funding. Demand grew so it was incorporated into the Council budget into 2004. In 2007 they partnered with the UWS to broaden access beyond what the library could provide.

The UWS has a Community Engagement Strategy – which aims to build a relationship with councils and to support local students. Most universities have such a strategy. For Fairfield it meant expansion of the program, marketing support from UWS and deeper institutional ties with them.

Example – Mornington Peninsula – Babies love books too. MP saw a program in a similar area, partnered with the library, put in an application to the Telstra Foundation and got $20,000 over 3 years follow up funding from BHP and Hillview. Now its in the library budget.

Example – Connected City Library and Melbourne City Mission.
Targeted learning support for at risk of becoming homeless children.

Example – Mobile Library Wireless Broadband
Upper Murray Regional Library Service – 3 mobile libraries. Got funding from 2 State Libraries and the Federal Government.

These were the only publicly visible examples. Need more like them. Critical skills required to make this happen – a desire to innovate: there is risk, which isnt a welcome option – need to be creative; brainstorming, teams, ownership – commercial sensibility: leveraging the librarys assets, outlining who benefits and how.

Making it happen:
1. Choose an appropriate project
2. Assemble your team – identify an owner, provide support
3. Think strategically – what are your librarys strengths – your users, your facilities, your role, your relationships
4. Identify a short list of potential partners – including businesses, associations, clubs, sporting groups, universities
5. Prepare your pitch – background, your assets, clear description of the opportunity
6. Hold a launch event – give them public recognition, raise the library profile, generates interest in the project and good media coverage
7. Follow through – objective is a long term relationship, maintain communication channels, acquit regularly and thoroughly and share success stories.

Corporate social responsibility – growing trend which includes community engagement policies an establish deep and meaningful partnerships. Need to take advantage of this.

Think big – ask for more rather than less, dont be put off by initial responses, remember your strengths and the needs of your partners.

ALIA Dreaming 08 – PM Plenary – Inga Lunden

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The New City Library: more than a house, for knowledge and dreams – Inga Lunden Stockholm Public Library

Whats the librarys challenge and mission? The EU believe it is creating public paradise in the connected age.

Dreaming the future is risky – the only certainty is that it will change. However, only dreamers can influence the future. We are living in a dream time, where stories enrich our lives and where libraries are places where stories are living and where they truly come to life between title and user, between staff and user, between author and reader and between readers.

Serendipity is brought to life in libraries. You find things there that you didnt know you were looking for and meeting people you wouldnt otherwise meet. We also have library stories to tell – a million stories happen every day, about the past, present and future.

The new Stockholm is not certain, it is still in committee. It gives us a chance though to define ourselves and our place in the future. The library can be anything we want it to be – it should not be about the fences, but about the core.

What do people need? What are their dreams? To experience and learn – best learning done while experiencing and vice versa. To communicate and participate – to be inclusive and be visible to yourself and others. So we need to reimagine ourselves.

We need to share knowledge and imagination with knowledge and imagination. Focus on peoples needs adn dreams, developing products and services that people want. Always need to try new ideas – if it works, great, if it doesnt, let it go.

Libraries are a million stories to be shared, love and become new stories. They give children the right to be told stories and to tell their own. Stories come from everywhere. Does anything exist that doesnt have a story.

Libraries are peoples universities, where they have the joy of discovery. Libraries are everywhere, prevasive, boundless and a part of Google. We want people to share discoveries with us, share with each other and libraries want to share with users and to share with other libraries.

Libraries are like dream weavers who are champions of the long tail, as not only users connect to obscure books, but as other books connect users to those books.

Stockholm is growing in numbers (800,000, with 1/3 immigrant background), but also growing in knowlege, background and diversity. Stockholm 2030 Vision is to be a world class city, which is diversified and rich in experience, innovative and inspiring for growth, and of course, a world class city needs a world class library.

The Nordic countries are all planning for new central libraries. 170 architects dreamed about the library and the jury dreamed of light, openness and communication. Heike Hanada dream is the one that came true – the final decision will be made later this year.
The library cant build its own library – it has to be the library, the council and the people who build it together.

Their dreams are taking shape in the plan. The House of Narration, made for all languages for all ages. Agora will be open all hours for meeting, working and coffee from 6am to 1pm. The Discovery Centre will also be for young and old.

The House of Narration will be in the old building and where stories and their readers will be celebrate and where readers and authors will meet and share. It will be where readers become authors and meet their readers and where young people can listen to and tell their own stories.

The Discovery Library are for kids and grownups side by side, where curiousity is celebrated, no matter your age or the format your findings come from. Books will come in different shapes and forms, but it is the content that is the focus. It is where discoveries might become part of the future.

Agora and Secret Garden will be open when the trains are running. A third place between work and home where you can be by yourself amongst others. It will be close to a new railway station.

The Stockholm Structure Plan – when people in motion meet a library in motion everything is possible. We then aim for their 39 branch libraries to follow the lead of the new Stockholm Library. They will be more accessible and urgent, will be at your service and on your way, a place to stay between trains.

Kista Idea City – a new library which is a partnership for the people between many partners.

A library can be a place where dreams come true.

ALIA Dreaming 08 – Thurs AM Plenary – Claudia Lux

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Libraries on the agenda – advocacy experiences from IFLA and Library Associations – Claudia Lux – IFLA President an Director General of the Berlin Library

IFLA i an independent, non-government not for profit organisation represent library staff, libraries and the communities we serve. IFLA supports membership in library associations, so ALIA members are therefore IFLA members. However, IFLA also has institutional members and personal and student associates.

Former ALIA Executive Director Jennefer Nicholson starts as IFLA Secretary General on September 5th. The previous president was Australian Alex Byrne.

IFLAs purpose is to promote libraries. Claudias agenda as president is Libraries on the Agenda. It aims to strenghten advocacy work internationally and to advocate for libraries sustainability.

IFLAs own advocacy activities include working with UNESCO (Library Manifestos), WIPO, MLAS (IFLA Management of Library Associations) and WSIS (World Summit on the Information Society).

WSIS Action Lines and Libraries is highlighting access to information and knowledge covering inclusion and cultural diversity; and ICT applications including local content, the ethical dimension of ICT and the Internet Governance Forum. These were issues that UNESCO had not considered.

IFLA has launched a Libraries Success Stories Database, in English, French, Spanish and more. Shows small stories from around the world. Claudia encouraged us to add our library success stories. Check it out at www.ifla.org

Politicians and libraries – they always consider us to be involved in culture and education. However, we also have a role to play in town planning, family policy, health, economy and administration. We are invisible in these areas, but we have to make ourselves visible and get money from these departments as we support the work they do.

Challenges:
Why does the world need libraries?
Why is the internet not able to replace libraries?
Why do libraries need the newest technology?
Why are books and other media in the library like bread and butter for the minds of people?

We need to have ready answers to these questions.

Goals of the advocacy initiative is to prepare clear and common arguments, show the libraries potential, market the impact of services use international success stories database, strengthen a new image and influence policy before it is set.

How to advocate – clarify your position – when do people speak up for us? Are Libraries our thing? – When do we speak up for ourselves? Coordinate your work, create a focal point include staff, colleagues, friends, civil initiatives and administration. keeping all partners informed and being consistent in the focal points. Have a clear message, focus on the main practical points, look for professional and emotional arguments, train how to advocate in practise, prepare background material including general information, statistics, best practise and a description of the future impact. Analyse who supports your goals and why, analyse the wider influence on a person or group, find which activities of support could they take on, make contacts and build a contact list etc.

Short menu of advocacy work – never talk badly about others, focus positively on your goals, present success stories, use statistics but believe in more, create pictures in the mind, be patient, be stubborn an always stay controlled.

Start now and promote knowlege on advocacy. When on stage, personality is the key talk clearly and concisely, ask questions, add humour, smile and thank.

Question: how do we advocate to present the work we do behind the scenes, the exciting/cutting edge we do? No one answer to this, we have to behave different, we have to go to our budgeters, be prepared with recognition and then bring the good things the library does. Find good things about the library that will speak to them.

ALIA Dreaming 08 – Weds PM Concurrent Session – Edgar Crook

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Web archiving in a Web 2.0 world – Edgar Crook – NLA

NLA has 3 main methodologies for web archiving.

Pandora Archive has developed a world class archive of Australian websites, using PANDA, their digital archiving system. PANDA is a distributed system, so their partners can also use it. Other international library archiving systems are based on or similar to PANDA. They have developed persistent naming scheme and have arrangements with archiving and indexing agencies. As of 1st July 2008, it contained 19307 titles over 53 million files adding up to 2.2 TB of data (now over 2.4TB). Files can be a single PDF page, or an entire website. Over 50% of their files are government publications, but they also archived academic journals, blogs, podcasts and more. It is selective, because of the restrictions on staff resources etc. They have chosen their titles carefully and try to choose sustainable sources.

Domain name harvests – once a year, for between 3 and 6 weeks and in conjunction with the Internet Archive. In 2008, they are looking at crawling a billion files. Copyright is a major drawback. The websites are crawled by the Internet Archive and the files are then sent to the NLA. There are gaps where the website publisher bans bots, and the crawler also cant follow embedded links, so there are gaps in the domain harvests. There is also issues with Australian websites without the .au in their name. Data is not publicly available at this time, although it is being use by researchers.

Archive It – is an Internet Archive product, where you can pay money to have your website archived. Sites archived using this process include the PNG governmental and research institute websites the 2007 general election – including content from YouTube an MySpace, Cambodian election 2008, Burmese monk uprising 2007 and more. There are restrictions in that you cant recapture missed files and cant present it the way you want.
Still working on arrangements with other Web 2.0 content, ie. Bebo, Flickr, Facebook etc.

Librarians should think to tell Pandora about resources they should be archiving. Take responsibility for your web presence, make sure it remains or is archived elsewhere.

Will not be making PANDAs version 4, but in future will be working with international partners to develop a new backbone to the system.

ALIA Dreaming 08 PM Plenary – Anita Heiss

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Indigenous Literacy – a national crisis – Anita Heiss -UQ and Flinders

Gap beween indigenous literacy and non-indigenous. By the age of 15, 1/3 of indigenous students dont have the skills to manage in the adult world. In remote areas, these figures are even higher. Indigenous students have much higher adsence rates, lower numeracy skills and with health related to school attendance and literacy skills, this too is poor.

Indigenous Literacy Project and Day were established to deal with these issues. Its a partnership between the APA, ABA and the Fred Hollowes Foundation, to provide books to indigenous communities. The books are chosen by the communities and foundation staff to enhance their pool of literacy resources. Started 4 years ago by Suzie Wilkins. Now operates across the nation, supported by the book industry, authors and authors.

The Project is making a difference, but there is still a lot of work to do. The Foundaition uses a 3 way approach to building literacy and promote cultural, media and English literacy. Projects include literacy resources, writing and publishing projects, a traditional song project, an after-hours music project, community learning centre (inter-agency project which includes a library), aural and visual health, nutrition programs and child/maternal health programs.

How can we help: make libraries and collections relevant and enticing to indigenous people, replenish stocks of indigenous titles and ahve indigenous authored titles, have authors and storytellers in your library, contact publishers of indigenous books and offer your space for launches, author visits etc.

Check indigenous publishers websites: Magabala Books, IAD Press, Aboriginal Studies Press, Keeaira Press and Black Ink Pre ss.

Get familiar with indigenous literature through Black Words (A&TSI writers and story tellers) – a subset of OzLit. The website now lists 1900 authors and storytellers.
You can find biographical information, relevant arts, cultural and literary groups, reviews, critical articles and exerpts from scholarly works. It also includes a calendar of events which traces historical events from 1788. Can be searched by genre, author, heritage and topics.

Question: does anyone from the Foundation visit the parents in remote communities. Anita believed that there is a process of consultation with people on the ground. Nothing is being done on the ground which is not the wishes of the local people.

Question: the concern of loss of language. Not the best person for Anita to comment on – she doesnt have any answer for that.

Question: work being done at the Bachelor Institute – works are being created in their native languages, then translating it into language, which are then being published and will be made available at the Alice Springs public library, as well as their own communities. Anita was happy to hear about this. Indigenous people want to read about things relevant to them, familiar to them.

ALIA Dreaming 08 – Weds AM Concurrent Session Public – Dr Vivienne Waller

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Who are the virtual visitors to the library and what are they doing? Dr Vivienne Waller

Working on research project with SLV – called the Searchers. Looking at purpose of public libraries in 21 century and implications of technology. Interested in current searching practices – looking at who goes where for what.

Back in 1995, Mercer found that most people would use their library to find something out. Pew Project 2007 found that the public library accounted for just over 10%. Internet was the overwhelming leader.

Top Australian reference sites were Wikipedia and then the Bureau of Meteorology, followed by various answer websites such as Ask.

Stats show that the top 20 websites account for nearly 60% of hits, but the long tail – the other 40% was made up of over 3,000 websites.

SLV – 1 million visits to the building, 22 million to the website (2006/07) (all SLV domains).

Research on SLV main website – www.slv.vic.gov.au, included research on the long tail. They used Hitwise data – could use Google Analytics for smaller websites. Hitwise data includes demographic data, 40% of ISPs send their data to Hitwise as well as recording their traffic.

More than average visitors to the SLV website come from educated singles, families maintaining the rural economy, young affluent singles and sharers in the city, wealthiest families in the exclusive suburbs. Under-represented are the most other categories.

Victoria accounts for about 63% of virtual visitors, NSW for 17% and other most states between 1 and 3%. The top 10 referrers included Google, Yahoo, Picture Australia, National Library and Wikipedia.

Top 10 sites only account for 51%, what are some of the other 49% sites? The categories of site in the long tail include search engines (40%), library (about 15%), with more from computer and internet sites (eg. social networking sites).

Where do they go afterwards? Much more came from search engines, but a lesser proportion return to them. Hope that means they found what they are looking for.

Results on searches that led to the slv website – top 10 searches, 22% – variations on state library of victoria. The other 78% of searches came from over 15,000 terms and fell mainly into the categories of history, place, reference, buidling and books/authors.

Did searchers find what they were looking for? Rough estimate using upstream and downstream traffic and images, suggests that 50% of people found what they wanted an moved onto other sites.

Important to take advantage of web log data, but some questions can only be answered by detailed survey and analysis.

Question: how can we tell if users have used the guides on our websites. Can tag those pages with the Google Analytics code – if all pages are tagged, can track their progress through your website. Can track where people are geographically as well.

Question: was there any work done on people using the databases. Currently doing work on who is using the catalogue – tricky to measure the databases, because that is not content hosted by SLV.

Question: could Hitwise data be used to help measure programs aimed at people who are underrepresented. Yes it could be in principal, but data must be paid for. If data is very localised, would be better to survey individuals.

ALIA Dreaming 08 – Weds AM Concurrent Session – Public – Greg Honeyman

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The Fridge: communication matters at the SLV – Greg Honeyman – Manager Marketing and Public Affairs (SLV)

How the SLV uses their intranet to deliver fresh news daily to their staff.

Why internal communication?
-employees are more satistfied, feel more involved and contribute more

Issues to deal with -
- if I know it, everyone must know it
- we hate bureacracy
- well, I told the manager
- so whats to talk about
- theres data and theres information
- if I need your opinion, Ill give it to you

Communication is not just top down. Communication grows exponentially more difficult the larger an organisation becomes. (Clay Shirky)

350 staff = over 120,000 connections at the SLV.

November 2006, SLV introduced the Fridge – a new communication tool – idea came from a friends actual fridge – which was the family communication channel.

Fridge Mach 1 – Fridge icon was available on the desktop of every staff PC. Click on it, brings up a fridge shape with news content within – updated daily at 3pm, in hard news style – with images and video. Fun but also a serious news tool utilised by the full range of library staff. Guests included politians, authors, artists, library staff, vendors and more.

Fridge was edited by the SLV marketing staff, with the supporting software built in Flash and designed and created in house. It replaced the staff newsletter very quickly. Won an award from Arts Victoria in 2007.

It has become an enduring record of SLV culture. They have had over 190 editions – a rare and impressive snapshot of a year in the life of the SLV. They are producing a book with the Fridge content which will be placed in the SLV collection.

The Fridge Mach 2 is the redeveloped intranet – Mach 1 was always a temporary measure. It was launched in June 08, bought off the shelf, but heavily modified in house. All library divisions provide information to it.

Includes an events panel which updates in real time, forms, directories and processes and the News is updated at 3pm daily. They actively seek and measure staff comment and participation.

Question: amount of staff time required to provide the fresh news daily – SLV journalist about 60% of his working week, plus the time of Fridge champions.

Question: is there an editorial process – not a forum for whingeing – ask for positive feedback and do maintain editorial control – ie redraft into active voice for journalistic style – not editing out content often.

Question: opportunity for discussion? – not like a blog, but can post content for dialogue.

ALIA Dreaming 08 – Plenary – Martin Nakata

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Towards guidelines and practices in Australian indigenous digital collections – Professor Martin Nakata

Wow, here I am live blogging the conference, using ScribeFire for Firefox and wi-fi at the Alices Springs Convention Centre. So sit back and enjoy the conference through mylimited eyes. Papers will be available on the conference website – http://www.alia2008.com/

So here goes.

Martin is the Director of Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning and Char if Australian Indigenous Education – UTS.

Challenges in digitising indigenous collections included IP and copyright regimes, indigenous needs and concerns, digitisation and public domain.

An issue that has been taken up by IFLA amongst others.

The Gap – need for consistent standards and protocols across the collecting sector. (maybe a 1/4 of attendees work in libraries which hold such materials – survey of hands) .
Resulted in a project for a preliminary investigation, in partnership with the NTL, SLNSW an SLQ.

The project is investigating digitisation processes, digitisation of indigenous materials working towards guidelines and protocols.

It first focussed on the technical issues, which have now been standardised. The focus is now on consistent formats, workflow and management of collections, legal and sensitivity issues

Working on the implications for the digitisation process, including selections, clearances, decisions, time and costs, prompts, checklists an exemplars and a clear management strategy.

There are also implications for prioritising indigenous materials – both within all materials to be digitised and within indigenous materials to be digitised. Rationale for these decisions should not be based on ethnic compositions or population proportions. Unfortunately, we still dont know the extent of indigenous materials held by Australian cultural institutions.

Prof Nakata believes that inidigeous digitisation should be included in core business and not treated with separate policies and procedures.

Legal and sensitivity issues are the reasons for departure from the standard digitisation process of libraries. The next project aims to produce guidelines to assist in this process. Digitisation should also give indigenous people timely access to and the use of these materials. There should also be a higher priority for the digitisation of the materials of our native population.

Question: federal government funding – it seems there may be funding available for projects if organisations work together.

Question: will protocols being developed cover all formats and all cultural institutions, not just libraries – aim to work with GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, museums) in next project. Picture Australia is doing some groundbreaking work here, as are other cultural institutions around the world. Thinking not only about the process, but the end users needs.

Question: moral rights, any legal developments – still on turntable.

Question: protocols are first step, when do we think we will able to do this as a major project, on a national/international basis. Time is right, funding is available and the government is asking for input. TIme is ripe for a major injection of funding, not just small grants and volunteer run.

Question: what research has been done about how people use and wish to use these digitised materials. Found out during NT project – assemble much material and asked lots of questions, not just about technology. Researchers are still struggling with the issue, but it is improving.

Comment: Australian Collections Council has been heavily lobbying the government, but no positive answers yet.

Question: is there any potential for funding in the Innovation Review and the Cutler review? Havent had a chance to investigate them, but we should.