About our collections

AIATSIS recognises that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are its key stakeholders, and owners of much of the intellectual property contained in the collections.

One of the Institute’s goals is to develop, maintain and preserve well-documented archives and collections, and to maximise access to these materials, particularly by Indigenous people, by respecting appropriate cultural and ethical practices.

In keeping with this goal, AIATSIS has adopted the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Protocols for Libraries, Archives and Information Services external. The Protocols are intended to guide libraries, archives and information services in appropriate ways to interact with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the communities which the organisations serve, and to handle materials with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content.

Access to the AIATSIS collections is provided through Mura®, the Institute’s online catalogue. Anyone with access to the Internet can use Mura to search and discover materials held in both the Library and the Audiovisual Archive.

Learn more about our collections by following the links on the right.The AIATSIS closed Vaults