National Library to
collect new powers

The National Library of Australia is to be given sweeping new powers to collect, catalogue and keep digital and web-based publications and content as part of the new Creative Australia policy.
   Minister for the Arts, Simon Crean, and the Attorney-General, Mark Dreyfus, announced the move saying the Copyright Act 1968 would be amended to cover digitally published material in addition to the Library’s current print-based legal deposit arrangements.
   “The National Library of Australia has always collected books, journals and other publications to ensure access by future generations to this important part of our cultural heritage,” Mr Crean said.
Deposits extended to digital

   “Publishing has expanded beyond the traditional boundaries of print on paper. 
   “It includes websites, e-books and blogs which are accessed through smart phones, e-readers and other electronic devices.”
   He said the Creative Australia policy would ensure Australian creativity thrived in the 21st century by supporting innovation, the development of new creative content and growth of creative industries.
   Mr Dreyfus said in order to future-proof published cultural heritage, it needed to be captured it in all its forms.
   “The Copyright Act 1968 also needs to balance the protection of the intellectual property of creators with a digital world characterised by consumer expectations of sharing content,” Mr Dreyfus said.
   “We will also work to develop a new legal deposit scheme for the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia to collect and preserve Australian audio-visual material.”
   Director-General of the National Library of Australia, Anne Marie Schwirtlich, welcomed the move.
   “We will continue to work with publishers to ensure our published heritage, whatever its format, is not lost to future generations,” Ms Schwirtlich said.
   The Creative Australia policy can be accessed in full at this PS News link.
Edition 353, 19 March 2013
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