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The CMC established the New Technologies Working Party at its December 1996 meeting after reviewing initiatives to enhance cultural collecting institutions' application of digital technologies, such as web-publishing and digitisation, to allow greater access to cultural content.

The consultancy report Digitisation of Collections provided a basis for the Working Party's deliberations, to examine the major strategic and policy issues involved in the digitisation of collections.

The CMC and Online Council ( Australia 's online/information economy Ministers and officials) received regular reports on NTWP initiatives. At their February 1998 meeting CMC Ministers endorsed a 'vision' for a national strategic framework for more effective use of digital technology, within which Commonwealth, States/Territories and local government would work together to:

• encourage new collaborative partnerships between cultural organisations, government and private enterprise to produce quality, market - oriented products and services;
• encourage best practice standards for inter-networked cultural databases and collection management systems;
• identify issues relating to intellectual property rights in cultural institutions and the development of national protocols for copyright owners and users in the digital environment; and
• develop management models for integration of digital technology and intellectual property within overall business planning frameworks and practices at national and State/territory cultural institution level.

The first of the Working Party's national fora, Copyright & the Electronic Image, was held in Canberra on 29 July 1998. A second forum, Managing Rights: Indigenous Culture in the Digital Domain, was held in Brisbane on 21 September 1998. A national Round Table on Statutory Deposit in the Digital Environment, was held in Perth on 7 December 1998. Those gatherings drew together authors, artists, publishers, multimedia developers, technologists, senior policy makers, members of the public and representatives from all cultural sectors. A Culture Online Round Table attended by cultural institution representatives and NTWP members was held in Hobart on 5 July 1999. A report on the outcomes from the landmark Z39.50 ZAVIER connectivity trial linking a range of cultural institutions in Victoria, part funded by the Working Party was also circulated in 1999.

The Working Party released a CD-ROM based multimedia resource that encompassed, digitisation, connectivity, intellectual property and other new technologies issues. The resource included a comprehensive multimedia record of the first forum and 1500 copies have been distributed nationally by NTWP members

Many issues that led to the establishment of the working party have been tested and clarified through the NTWP work program. Most importantly, the program outcomes consistently reveal a requirement that cross sectoral linkages (between cultural organisations, museums, libraries and archives) need to be more effectively sustained at both a policy and a practical level if the opportunities offered by new technologies are to be grasped and problems resolved. Factors that have been identified as inhibitors in the take-up and effective use of new technologies in the cultural sector include technical problems, copyright management issues and lack of business models and strategic planning.

NTWP identified the following strategic priorities for future work in this area:

the need to promote the sharing of information and a more consistent approach across government to technological issues, including: standards, metadata and the use of protocols such as Z39.50; and the use of digitising and online projects as test-beds for solving problems.

the need to examine and share information about business models and best practice approaches for the use and integration of new technologies into the central operations of cultural organisations, rather than regarding online or digital exercises as one-off projects

the need to develop a greater understanding of copyright and increase skills in the management of intellectual property, including familiarity with legislation governing online communications to prevent infringements and establish best practice

the need to develop a co-operative strategy across jurisdictions and sectors for the conservation of electronic and digital material, including examination of the use of voluntary agreements and the possible extension of the Legal Deposit provisions of the Copyright Act.

Following its last meeting in October 1999, the working party has completed a final report and proposed to CMC that its ongoing program and membership be wound up in favour of establishing alternative consultative mechanisms. This proposal is pending approval at the next CMC meeting.

The CMC accepted the final report of the New Technologies Working Party at its August 2001 meeting. The CMC commended the Working Party's progress and achievements. The CMC noted consideration by the Commonwealth of the establishment of an information economy and cultural e-business forum, in consultation with the State and Territory cultural departments.

The New Technologies Working Party came to an end in August 2001.

• Document ID: 78375 |
• Last modified: 5 February 2008, 8:34pm