Community Advisory Committee meeting report 16 Feb 2011

State Records Report of State Records NSW Community Advisory Committee meeting 10am, Wednesday 16 February 2011, Sydney Records CentreUpdatesState Records’ website and online resourcesA PowerPoint presentation which addressed the following updates: • Additions to State Records’ website • Reading rooms • Archives Investigator • Additions • Tipsis available at http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/about-us/advisory-groups/community-advisory-committee click hereReading RoomsTwo self-service digital cameras will be installed in the reading room at Western Sydneyshortly. One of the cameras, plus lights, was donated by Ancestry.comTipsThe ‘How-to’ tips for using Archives Investigator are being added to over time. They aredesigned to provide simple step-by-step advice.The following tips were discussed in more detail: • How to search the “Notes” field in an advanced search; • Tips for Mac users; • Searching for item ‘stroke’ numbers; and • Series search.Special BusinessDigital State ArchiveState Records has finally been allocated funding to establish a Digital State Archive(DSA). Advice of the allocation was received from Treasury on Tuesday 8 February 2011.The funding is for a 3 year project to establish a structure to manage digital statearchives. After the initial 3 year period State Records will be expected to fund theongoing maintenance of the DSA from its own resources.

Minutes of meetingIt has taken seven years to get the funding for the DSA. It is unlikely that a Liberalgovernment would withdraw funding.There is a massive pool of digital data awaiting transfer. State Records needed to set upprocedures and workflows to transfer this data. The timing of the funding allocation wasideal, as mention of this could now be included in the history of State Records which isbeing written by Dr Peter Tyler as part of the celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary ofthe establishment of the Archives Authority of NSW.Funding allocations to State Records from 2000A table was circulated showing the recurrent allocation received by State Records fromTreasury, and the GRR contribution, for the period 2000 to 2010.There had been hardly any movement in the recurrent appropriation in the period from2000 to 2010. The top-up from the GRR constantly increased over the same period. Inaddition, electricity costs have increased. This is a cause for concern, as State Recordsneeds to operate air conditioning in the storage areas 24/7. Use of solar power has beeninvestigated, but the costs to move to solar power are massive.It was noted that the GRR contribution was lost to GRR and couldn’t be used to developthe business. There will soon be a need to construct Stage 7, to provide audiovisual andcold room storage. Although the transition to digital records is underway, the GRR is stillreceiving an enormous transfer of paper records. As a result, the GRR has hired about 6satellite repositories in the Penrith area.Request for more of State Records’ map collection to be digitised and placedonlineA more consultative approach in relation to deciding which maps from the State archivescollection would be digitised has been requested. The Land and Property ManagementAuthority (LPMA) is undertaking a major project to digitise all the Crown Plans – includingthe Crown Plans that were transferred to State Records many years ago. As LPMA isundertaking this project, State Records is allocating minimal resources to the digitisationof this series of records. Once LPMA has completed this project the digital copies of theCrown Plans will be accessible via the Lands Kiosks in the reading rooms.State Records is happy to receive suggestions for future digitisation projects that couldbe included in its Digitisation Program.State Records’ 50th anniversaryA function to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Archives Authority ofNSW will be held at the Sydney Records Centre at 6:00 pm on Wednesday 1 June 2011.Community Advisory Committee members will be invited to this function.Peter Tyler is writing a short history of records and archives in NSW from 1788 to 2010.The history, which will run to about 150 pages, will be free. The history will be publishedby Federation Press.Commemorative bookmarks and postcards had been printed. Samples of the postcardswere circulated. The Committee was also advised that a 50th anniversary logo has beendeveloped as part of the publicity material for the anniversary. The logo incorporates anupdated version of the infinity symbol.The Committee was reminded about the digital gallery which is being developed tocommemorate the 50th anniversary. The digital gallery will feature 50 items from theState Records 2

Minutes of meetingcollection showcasing the richness and diversity of the NSW State archives. Work is welladvanced on the project to digitise, interpret and transcribe the fifty selected items.Other BusinessThere was some discussion regarding whether State Records captured school andhospital records as State archives. Relevant disposal authorities will be provided to theCommittee.Date of next meetingThe next meeting will be held at a date to be determined on 17 August 2011 at 10:00am at theSydney Records Centre.State Records 3

Community Advisory Committee meeting report 16 Feb 2011

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Community Advisory Committee meeting report 16 Feb 2011 Document Transcript