Quoting from PSnewsonline Edition Number 470f. Updated Friday, 28 August 2015
Archives widens window to the past
A new audio-visual archives management system (AVAMS) which enables easier public access to collections of audio-visual records, has been unveiled by the National Archives of Australia.
The new system, at the Archives’ Sydney Repository, means that a wide range of material, from ASIO surveillance films to early rock 'n' roll clips and historical ABC and SBS footage, is now more readily available.
Director-General of the Archives, David Fricker (pictured) said there were nearly 800,000 analogue and digital Commonwealth records in the audio-visual collection.
“We're delighted that we have found a way to ensure the public has easier access to them,” Mr Fricker said.
“With our extensive range of visual and audio footage, the collection helps us better understand the events that have shaped our nation in moving images and sound bites. Almost every aspect of Australian life is reflected in our collection.”
Improved audio-visual system
He said the collection included talks by Prime Ministers, speeches given in evidence by everyday people who had witnessed life-changing or nation-changing events; film footage withheld from the public as part of censorship programs and surveillance footage of those people deemed ‘persons of interest’ by National Security Agencies.
“To manage its vast audio-visual collection, the National Archives of Australia has used a product called Mediaflex which enables staff to enrich metadata about the complex records — and allows public searching by lists of credits and synopses, as well as titles,” Mr Fricker said.
“This has resulted in an immediate increase in the use of audio-visual material.”
He said the new system provided 700 terabytes of digital storage and such an increased capability combined with the capacity to import born-digital audio-visual records had placed the Archives on a strong footing to accept the transfer of digital records from Commonwealth Government Agencies.
“As a result more audio-visual materials will be preserved and available for access,” he said.
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