Digital heritage preservation and the challenge of sustainability

Three leading experts and practitioners spoke on the latest national and international developments in the field of digital preservation on how to preserve items 'born digital', such as websites, electronic documents, images and sound at an APSIG lunchtime seminar on Tuesday 12 October at the NLA in Canberra. The keen interest was shown by the attendance of over 100 and the requests for information since.

Professor Amareswar Galla is director of studies, Graduate Programs in Sustainable Heritage Development, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, The Australian National University. He reported on the International Council of Museums Congress in Seoul earlier in the month. He had attended as a senior office-bearer. His comments related particularly to museums and art galleries. Many gallery directors are reporting back to the international community on their difficulties in maintaining their exhibition web sites due to corporate pressures and lack of accepted policies on the need to retain them. Paradoxically, there seems to be so much emphasis upon digital displays in museums and art galleries that the primary focus of these institutions as ongoing cultural centres seems to be almost lost. Professor Galla emphasised that Australia had a unique role in relation to the small Pacific countries in helping them in this difficult area where change is so rapid.

Kevin Bradley is sustainability advisor to the Australian Partnership for Sustainable Repositories (APSR). He reported on issues of sustainability of web sites currently being addressed internationally and in Australia, including the recently established APSR project. The aim of the centre is to develop best practice in Australia and to be involved in the development of international planning strategies. Kevin reported that Australia is on the forefront of these developments.

Paul Koerbin is senior librarian in the national library's PANDORA Digital Archive. Pandora preserves Australian websites selected for their longterm interest. Paul recently attended a number of conferences and workshops overseas and presented a paper to a conference at Bath, UK.

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