Policy: Digitisation
Purpose
This policy outlines the University’s approach to identifying priorities for the digitisation of Australian National University (ANU) collections.
Scope
This policy applies to staff and the wider university community.
Definitions
Digitisation is the conversion of analogue materials into a digital format. It can relate to the processing of materials to make items accessible for future use. It also relates to digital to digital file conversion.
Policy statement
- The University’s collections support the core objectives of the ANU strategic plan.
- Digitisation of collections improves research and education by:
- Meeting the changing nature of research and teaching and staff and students expectations of online access. Digitisation will support and enhance the research goals of the University by providing access to digital representations of collections.
- Protecting unique and rare research material from overuse by making digital copies available. Digitisation of this material preserves rare collections by creating a digital surrogate and protects it from wear and tear while also providing digital back-up for the original physical copy.
- Creating awareness and increasing access to the University’s nationally and internationally significant collections and research outputs. Creating online access will increase discoverability and access for the unique collections and encourages use by researchers at the University and around the world. It will assist with international collaboration.
- Collections are digitised in accordance with the priorities outlined by the current Scholarly Information Services Digitisation Plan and availability of digitisation resources.
- Material which is already available online and freely accessible will not be digitised.
- Digitisation will occur in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968.
- Selection will be determined by a Steering Committee.
