ALIA Blog Article

ALIA Blog: Reconciliation Week organisation spotlight 

Wednesday 1 June: As part of our Reconciliation Week activities, we spoke to the Central Land Council (CLC) to explore some of the fantastic work being done in preservation, digitisation and record management.

The CLC is a representative body of ninety Aboriginal women and men elected by the communities from the southern half of the NT. CLC’s core business is to help the Aboriginal people of Central Australia to reclaim and manage their land and realise the opportunities that come with the recognition of property rights.

The CLC employs a diverse group of specialists in Anthropology, Native Title, Community Development, Land Management, Economic Participation, Law, Minerals & Energy, Information Management, Policy, Geospatial Services and Trades.

The Information Services (IS) section of CLC comprises of Records, Archives, Registry and the Library. Its staff are responsible for the ongoing preservation and provision of access to the CLC’s existing and emerging organisational information collections.

The Archives hold records and documents created by CLC from its establishment to the current day, including cultural and historic land and native title claim exhibits and research material. Formats include paper and digital records as well as audio visual recordings and photographs. IS also provides research and reference services for staff, searching both within the collections and archives, and in external sources such as the National Archives of Australia, and is also seeking to building staff’s information literacy skills.
A focus of current preservation activities is the digitisation of ‘at risk’ formats (such as analogue audio-visual recordings) and high use collections. The digitisation projects have involved enhancement and update of recordkeeping metadata to support ongoing preservation and improve remote access and discoverability of records. Where appropriate, the CLC Digital Archive provides a platform for CLC communities to access the archives.

In 2020 a new Library Management System was rolled out to CLC staff, leading to a significant increase in library usage. An alternate interface was adapted for the Ranger cohort who are based in remote offices and manage cultural and natural resources. Information Services staff take part in annual Rangers Camps, and in training events at the regional offices, informing the Rangers about IS services.

Some of the more unique components of the CLC Library collection are:

  • Rare and restricted collection of historic information primarily useful to our anthropologists in determining Native Title rights. Cultural restrictions can apply.
  • Aboriginal Land Commissioner Reports.
  • Aboriginal language dictionaries.
  • Resources relating to the Aboriginal peoples, history and geography of the region.

Information Services regularly hosts displays and events, for example, for Information Awareness Month, and Library and Information Week, showcasing audio-visual materials produced and held by the Archives during NAIDOC Week, screening of CLC media projects, Archive Tours, Book of the Day displays.

IS regularly hosts displays and events, for example, for Information Awareness Month, and Library and Information Week, showcasing audio-visual materials produced and held by the Archives during NAIDOC Week, screening of CLC media projects, Archive Tours, Book of the Day displays.

In the beautiful space in which they work, known as the David Jupurrurla Long Resource Centre, and through the helpdesk, they offer a responsive service to all requests.

CLC proritises the employment of Indigenous applicants and 51% of the staff are Indigenous.