5.0 Acquisitions Policy

5.1 Methods of acquisition

The AIATSIS Audiovisual Archive may acquire collection materials by:

donation, including gifts received through the Cultural Gifts Program, whereby ownership of material is transferred to AIATSIS by means of a Transfer of Materials Agreement;
deposit, whereby material is permanently housed at AIATSIS and a Deposit of Materials Agreement is completed;
bequest, whereby ownership of material is transferred to AIATSIS upon the death of a donor, by means of a will or a Deposit of Materials Agreement;
purchase, whereby ownership of material is transferred to AIATSIS via a monetary transaction;
deed of grant, whereby materials obtained or created in the field by an AIATSIS-funded researcher are transferred to AIATSIS upon acquittal of a grant; and
creation of original material, whereby AIATSIS staff create original audiovisual material in the course of their duties.

The majority of materials held by the AIATSIS Audiovisual Archive are deposited by AIATSIS grantees as a mandatory requirement of their deed of grant. All materials offered to AIATSIS, including materials received under deed of grant or through the Cultural Gifts Program, are assessed according to criteria set out in Sections 5.2-5.5 of this policy. AIATSIS is under no obligation to accept material offered to it. AIATSIS grantees are required to use archival audiovisual formats and media recommended by the AIATSIS Audiovisual Archive. These formats are described below in sections 5.3.1-5.3.4. For a summary of suitable digital formats for archiving, please see the document Audiovisual Technical Standards for Digital Submissions (PDF).

5.2 Significance

The AIATSIS Audiovisual Archive will continue to develop an audiovisual, artwork and artefact collection documenting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander societies and history, and will collect objects which it deems significant, including those which:

assist in making a lasting contribution to worldwide knowledge and understanding of Australian Indigenous cultures, past and present;
reflect the current subject emphases of AIATSIS-sponsored research;
complement items already held in AIATSIS collections, including the Library;
are valued by an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander community for social, economic, cultural, spiritual or political reasons;
are not well represented in collections outside AIATSIS;
represent subject or geographic areas that are not yet represented in the collection;
have high display or broadcast value, particularly artworks by recognised and acclaimed Indigenous artists; or
have a demonstrable link to the history of AIATSIS.

An item that is considered significant will not automatically be accepted into the collection. AIATSIS does not seek to replicate the collections of other archives, libraries, museums or galleries. For this reason, AIATSIS primarily collects unpublished audiovisual materials and original works of art. Published and duplicate materials are only collected when their acquisition would facilitate access by Australian Indigenous communities, or they are sufficiently rare to warrant preservation beyond that which is offered by the custodian of the original. Other materials collected include:

copies of rare or historical materials held in other collections, locally and internationally;
rare or historical materials lodged by national, regional and community media organisations and cultural institutions; and
a representative selection of published materials, particularly those not held by other Australian national collecting institutions.

5.3 Categories of material accepted

The AIATSIS Audiovisual Archive collects the following types of materials, which it deems acceptable according to sections 5.2 and 5.4 of this manual:

analogue and digital audio recordings;
still photography, including black and white negatives, gelatin silver and cibachrome prints, colour transparencies and high resolution digital files, as well as heritage items such as glass plate negatives and albumen prints;
moving images, including film, analogue video and digital video;
artwork, including drawings, textiles, prints (including framed photographs), sculptures, ceramics, glassware, fibre items, works on bark, and other such items;
material culture items, including weapons, stone tools, hunting and gathering implements, toys, clothing, ceremonial objects (excluding secret/sacred material), watercraft, musical instruments, and other such items;
research materials, such as tracings and other such items not collected by the AIATSIS Library; and
paraphernalia, memorabilia and personalia, including posters, material culture items, craft work, and other such items not collected by the AIATSIS Library.

Sections 5.3.1-5.3.3 list preferred media and formats for audiovisual deposits. Many obsolete formats are not listed but may be accepted if criteria outlined in sections 5.1-5.4 are met. Cellulose Nitrate film cannot be lodged in the AIATSIS vaults due to its combustible nature. However, if the content is assessed as being of high value it may be accepted for copying and either returned to the depositor, or housed with other AIATSIS materials at the National Film and Sound Archive nitrate storage facility (subject to approval).

5.3.1 Preferred photographic media and formats

Most traditional colour slide and black and white film, from 35mm to large format, will be considered as suitable media for deposit. Glass plate negatives are also accepted. AIATSIS will only consider reproductions (e.g., black and white prints) for deposit where the original film cannot be located. Both colour negative film and the prints from it are not archivally stable and will therefore only be considered for deposit under exceptional circumstances.

AIATSIS will only accept digital files that meet the standards listed in the document Audiovisual Technical Standards for Digital Submissions (PDF). A minimum chip size of 5 megapixels is recommended for digital cameras. Files should be stored in "camera raw" or best quality, best resolution TIFF. When returning digital images to AIATSIS, a copy of the camera's interface software should also be submitted.

Camera rolls or files should be labelled in a clear, logical sequence.

See section 5.5 for guidelines for arranging digital material for deposit.

5.3.2 Preferred audio media and formats

AIATSIS accepts recordings on standard analogue reels, cassette, digital audio tape, digital disc and hard drives. Better known brands of carrier are recommended, such as Sony, Phillips, BASF, TDK, Prodisc or Verbatim. Carriers or files should be labelled in a clear, logical sequence and recordings should be identified as either stereo or mono.

Cassettes and DATs should be no longer than 60 minutes. Metal or chrome cassettes and noise reduction systems such as Dolby should be avoided. Analogue cassette recorders with a standard tape speed of 1 7/8" or 4.75cm/sec are recommended.

Digital recordings should be made at the highest sample rate and bit depth possible, preferably 24 bit, 48 kHz or greater. Standard minidisc and other compressed formats should be avoided, as should long play options.

See section 5.5 for guidelines for arranging digital material for deposit.

5.3.3 Preferred video media and formats

AIATSIS accepts video recordings on Mini DV, DV Cam, DVC Pro, VHS, VHS-C, SVHS, video8, Hi8, Digital8, U-Matic High Band, U-Matic Low Band, U-Matic SP, Betacam, SP Betacam and Digital Betacam. Better known brands of tape are recommended, such as Sony, Phillips, BASF, TDK or Fuji. Long play options should be avoided.

All carriers or files should be labelled in a clear, logical sequence.

See section 5.5 for guidelines for arranging digital material for deposit.

5.4 Supplementary selection criteria

Significant materials will also be evaluated against the following criteria:

availability of substantial supporting documentation;
verification of provenance;
confirmation of clear legal title;
physical condition;
certificate of authenticity, for artworks produced after 1998;
availability of suitable storage and display conditions;
availability of suitable playback equipment; and
terms of deposit.

5.5 Arrangement of digital material for deposit

When depositing material in digital form, depositors are asked to ensure that:

carriers, such as CDs, are clearly labelled and arranged, preferably in chronological order;
files are clearly named and arranged, preferably in chronological order;
documentation is provided, explaining the naming and arrangement of files;
audio, moving image, photographic and other file types are provided on separate carriers; and
individual audio and video files are restricted to a length which can be listened to or viewed in a single sitting, preferably less than two hours (maximum two gigabyte file size).

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