The Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC) is delighted to welcome AIATSIS as the newest Associate Member of the Coalition this week.
Based in Canberra Australia, AIATSIS is a national institution focused exclusively on the diverse history, cultures and heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia. With a growing collection of over 1 million items encompassing films, photographs, audio recordings, art and objects, printed and other resource materials, AIATSIS is developing, preserving and providing access to a national collection with the aim of promoting and enhancing the knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, their heritage and culture.
“AIATSIS’ membership and active participation in the DPC will highlight the Institute’s leadership in the development and adoption of collection protocols and standards for First Nations organisations, communities and individuals,” explains Leonard Hill, Executive Director of Collection Services at AIATSIS.
“AIATSIS can act as an advocate of culturally appropriate description, access and rights of and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content held by within other DPC member organisations’ collections. We look forward to increasing engagement with the DPC’s dynamic and international community of preservation practitioners to this end.”
AIATSIS joins the Coalition following the DPC’s launch of its new office earlier in 2020. The DPC’s presence in Australia will enable improved access to the DPC’s programme of activities for members and digital preservation practitioners across the southern hemisphere; helping support, represent and amplify the work of a very active digital preservation community in the region, as well as assisting institutions at all stages of maturity in the digital preservation journey.
Jaye Weatherburn, Head of Australasia and Asia-Pacific for the DPC was delighted to welcome AIATSIS to the Coalition saying: “As one of the early participants in Australasia Preserves, AIATSIS are already very active within the digital preservation community, providing leadership in indigenous collecting and preservation. We are delighted to support their mission to develop description, procedures and access protocols for Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander collections held in Australian institutions and around the world, and look forward to working with them enormously.”
AIATSIS also joins the DPC’s new Stakeholder Group, formed as part of its governance structure with the opening of the Melbourne Office in January. The Stakeholder Group will ensure that Members in Australia, New Zealand and surrounding areas inform the development of the DPC’s program in the region and have input to the broader strategic direction of the Coalition.
The not-for-profit DPC is an international advocate for digital preservation, helping members around the world to deliver resilient long-term access to digital content and services through community engagement, targeted advocacy work, training and workforce development, capacity building, good practice and standards, and through good management and governance. Its vision is a secure digital legacy.
Any Australasian organisation that joins the DPC through the Melbourne office, before 31st July 2020 may benefit from an additional 10% discount (when taking out three-year membership).
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