IASA 2017 Annual Conference

Archival institutions generally have robust processes in place for working with physical materials, yet born-digital items – and born-digital multimedia in particular – tend to invoke uncertainty and even fear among staff. The Alexander Turnbull Library has been managing unpublished born-digital content through the National Digital Heritage Archive (NDHA) since 2008, and has been continually reviewing, experimenting, and refining our processes over the years since. This presentation will explore the changing practice at the Alexander Turnbull Library, using oral history and sound collections as case studies, sharing our experiences, lessons learnt, and directions forward relating to the acquisition, appraisal, description, and access to born-digital and hybrid collections.