Governments face off digital dark age
Governments face off digital dark age
Australian and New Zealand archivists have teamed up to develop, build and implement a common set of strategies for making, keeping and using digital records in governments so that they do not get lost in the future.
This new initiative will combine resources and knowledge to find better ways of protecting digital records so that they will still be available in 200 years times instead of succumbing to a digital dark age.
Every single national, state and territory public records institution in Australia and New Zealand have joined together to form the Digital Recordkeeping Initiative.
Director-General of the National Archives of Australia, Ross Gibbs, said that it would focus attention on the importance of taking care of these records. "As governments move rapidly from paper to digital records we face a real risk that digital records could be lost. Unless we work together to improve the way governments preserve digital records we could enter a 'digital Dark Age' where the records and the information about government business is simply not available."
It is hoped that this initiative will create a single Australasian approach to public recordkeeping and provide a space for communicating and sharing ideas.
The Chief Archivist of New Zealand, Dianne Macaskill, added. "Not only will this improve the national efficiency and effectiveness of public administration and service delivery, it should also give a boost to industry by articulating a single set of requirements for software products and support services."
In addition, the archivists hope that this collaboration will improve the international competitiveness of Australia and New Zealand in this constantly evolving and growing industry.
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