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Digitising
Content in the ABC's Archive
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation's
Archive is to take an important step
into the digital future following
the ABC's decision to convert its
archived collections of television
and radio programming from the analogue
format to the digital format.
The ABC Archive is one of Australia's
most significant historical media
repositories with a collection stored
predominantly in the analogue format.
The analogue video and audio collections
are under threat from the gradual
deterioration of the analogue tapes
as well as from the increasing lack
of playback equipment for formats
that are becoming obsolete.
For long-term preservation and accessibility,
the ABC has determined that its content
collections must be retained in a
format which will stand the test of
time, will allow replicated quality
to be as close as possible to that
of original masters, and will allow
desk top access.
The conversion of the collections
to digital format is essential to
achieve these objectives.
The ABC's Archives and Library Services
(ALS) will drive the three year project
which will see an initial 60,000 hours
of television and radio content preserved
in the digital format. This is the
largest project of its kind undertaken
in Australia.
The ABC is to work in partnership
with IBM Global Services Australia
(IBM GSA) Ltd who will provide a technological
solution that will manage, deliver
and implement the conversion of a
proportion of the ABC analogue archive.
The technology is standard IT data
storage equipment, used in thousands
of organisations worldwide to manage
ever-increasing data requirements.
It puts in place systems that increase
the ABC's ability to protect and maintain
the content for future use. It will
ultimately enable the conversion of
the entire analogue archive as an
ongoing ABC activity, extending beyond
the initial scope of the project.
The solution is based on open standards
which means that in future the ABC
will not be bound to one manufacturer
for extensions and maintenance.
"The outcome of this project
will mean that ALS Researchers will
have the capacity to browse online,
digitally store and digitally deliver
content, offering an unprecedented
level of service for our program-making
clients," said Head Archives
and Library Services, Mary Jane Stannus.
"The ABC's commitment to the
Archives and Library Services Digital
Conversion project will ensure that
the ABC's Archive goes into the future
with assurance."
For further information contact Head
of Archives & Library Services,
Mary Jane Stannus, on (02) 8333 4076
Released 8 July 2003
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