Australian Newspaper Plan
Annual Report 2012/13
Australian Newspaper PlanPreserving for Permanent Access
Annual report 2012/2013
PURPOSE
This report describes progress with the Australian Newspaper Plan (ANPlan) in 2012/13. The achievements of ANPlan are evaluated against a set of Key Indicators and the goals set out in ANPlan’s Five Year Plan, July 2010 - June 2015 (Appendix A).
BACKGROUND
ANPlan is a collaboration established by NSLA through which the Australian national, state and territory libraries are comprehensively collecting, preserving and providing access to Australian newspapers. The National Library of Australia (NLA) coordinates the Plan. The National Library of New Zealand (NLNZ) has observer status.
This year a new Key Indicator (Key Indicator 3) which measures the number of digital newspapers which libraries are collecting and managing for permanent access has been added to the set of Key Indicators developed and agreed by ANPlan libraries in June 2009 which have been reported on over the past five years. In 2012/13, ANPlan’s Five Year Plan (2010-2015) was also revised to include a goal relating to the collection of Australian digital newspapers, an updated list of ‘at risk’ newspapers, and a goal relating to digitising newspapers for preservation purposes and preserving digitised and digital newspapers.
Significant achievements for 2012/13 include:
· eleven significant newspaper finds (Key Indicator 1);
· activity in the area of collecting digital newspapers and managing them for permanent access (Key Indicator 3; Five Year Plan);
· significant newspaper microfilming activity (Key Indicator 4; Five Year Plan) with the percentages of national titles filmed now reported as 100% and the completion of filming the significant ‘at risk’ newspaper the Evening Journal (Adelaide; 1869-1912);
· a substantial increase in the number of digitised newspapers being made accessible on Trove (Key Indicator 5; Five Year Plan), and no increase in the number of newspapers known to be digitised outside the Australian Newspapers Digitisation Program (ANDP) framework;
· a substantial quantity of first generation newspaper microfilm on acetate was replaced this year with polyester film (1,202 reels; Key Indicator 6);
· a significant improvement (from 70% to 100%) in the percentage of NSW newspaper microfilm catalogued according to the 2006 guidelines (Key Indicators 11 & 12, Five Year Plan);
· ANPlan librares have made a significant contribution to raising awareness of and providing information about Digitised newspapers on Trove. A range of publicity and information materials has been developed and distributed through print, electronic and social media. ANPlan libraries have also supported and provided advice to local organisations to contribute newspaper content to Trove. The NLA appointed a Contributor Liaison Officer within ANPlan to provide support to contributors who, numbering 43 in 2012/13, sponsored the digitisation of 209 contributed titles (Five Year Plan);
· ANPlan libraries have continued to raise public awareness of libraries’ role in collecting, preserving and providing access to newspapers through tours and education sessions (Five Year Plan).
Although eleven significant newspaper finds were reported in 2012/13, this has had little impact on the number of missing newspapers reported by ANPlan libraries, which is largely determined by ANPlan libraries’ ability to identify missing newspapers. In 2012/13, the State Library of Victoria (SLV) started an evaluation of Victorian newspapers to check for any additional titles that are missing or have significant gaps. Both the number of newspapers reported as commencing (20) and ceasing (42) are high compared with last year (eight and four, respectively). Activity in collecting digital newspapers and managing them for permanent access was reported by several of the ANPlan libraries. In total, nineteen digital newspapers for which there is no print-equivalent and pre-press versions of Australian print newspapers are currently being collected and preserved by three ANPlan libraries.
Over 2012/13, newspapers from all states and territories have continued to be microfilmed, with all national newspapers now microfilmed. The majority of titles are known to be microfilmed to current standards. Progress over 2012/13 with preserving ‘at risk’ titles has included the completion of the filming of the Evening Journal (Adelaide, 1869-1912) and the commencement of filming the Journal (Adelaide; 1912-1923). Over 2012/13, 1, 202 first generation newspaper microfilm reels on acetate were replaced with polyester film. The SLV conducted an audit of its acetate masters.
The number of digitised newspapers which are being made accessible through Trove (for at least some of their date range) has grown rapidly, reaching 473 at the end of June 2013. Many of these newspapers have been sponsored by libraries, historical societies and other community groups, with the State Library of New South Wales (SLNSW), through its Digital Excellence Program, being the major contributor of digitised newspapers. The number of newspapers digitised outside the Australian Newspaper Digitisation Program framework has now decreased to forty-eight due to two titles which have become available on Trove.
As reported last year, ANPlan libraries are generally able to store the hard copy newspapers which they hold primary responsibility for under ANPlan under environmental conditions which they consider to be optimal with only two libraries reporting that they are unable to store 100% of their newspapers ideally. All ANPlan libraries are able to store all of their first generation newspaper microfilm masters under environmental conditions which they consider to be optimal to preserve permanent access with seven of the eight reporting ANPlan libraries making use of the NLA’s cold store. Reported storage conditions do vary, however, both for print newspapers and microfilm masters. Although most microfilm masters for newspaper titles are owned by ANPlan libraries, those which are not are still not being consistently recorded on the National Bibliographic Database (NBD).
As reported last year, most Australian newspapers (hard copy) are accessible through the NBD and most libraries report that catalogue records for newspapers published in their state/territory include detailed and up-to-date holdings information.[1] Five ANPlan libraries confirm that 100% of their first generation newspaper microfilm masters are catalogued according to the guidelines which were developed in consultation with all ANPlan libraries in 2006.[2] For the SLNSW, this represents an increase from 70% reported last year to 100% this year. The same five libraries report that they are able to catalogue all generations of newspaper microfilm onto the NBD according to the current guidelines. The NLA reports that all completed digitised newspapers available on Trove are catalogued onto the NBD, according to the current guidelines.[3] Digitised newspapers which are not delivered through Trove remain largely uncatalogued on the NBD.
With presentations, the provision of advice and assistance, and traditional and social media, ANPlan libraries continue to engage with public libraries and the general public about digitised newspapers on Trove and contributing newspapers to Trove, the search for missing newspapers and the libraries’ role in collecting, preserving and providing access to newspapers.
PROGRESS
A. Collecting
Key Indicator 1: Newspapers found
ANPlan libraries report 11 significant newspaper finds in 2012/13. These are listed in Appendix B.
Key Indicator 2: Missing newspapers
Numbers of newspapers which are known to be entirely missing[4] and which have significant portions missing[5] are summarised in the table below:
No. newspapers / ACT / NSW / NT / QLD / SA / TAS / VIC / WA / Nat.[6]entirely missing / 0 / 2 / 0 / 39 / 36[7] / 0 / 0 / not known / 0
with significant portions missing / 0 / >10 / 4 / 10 / 36 / 20 / 4 / not known / 0
The titles of newspapers which are known to be missing or have missing portions are published on ANPlan’s website at: http://www.nla.gov.au/australian-newspaper-plan/about/collect.
ANPlan libraries reported 20 new newspapers commencing publication from July 2012 to June 2013 (this included one newspaper with a changed title); and 42 newspapers ceasing publication (this included one newspaper with a changed title). Both these numbers are somewhat higher than last year (eight commencing newspapers and four ceasing newspapers reported). The titles of these newspapers are given in Appendix C.
Five Year Plan reporting: A goal of the Five Year Plan (2010-2015; Appendix A of this report) is to identify all Australian newspapers which are entirely missing, in any format, from the national collection held within the ANPlan libraries, or for which substantial portions are missing. In 2012/13, the SLV started an evaluation of Victorian newspapers to check for any additional titles that are missing or have significant gaps. It is envisaged that this information will be helpful for future ‘search and rescue’ campaigns to find missing newspapers.
Key Indicator 3: Digital collecting
The Northern Territory Library (NTL) is collecting and managing for permanent access three digital newspapers not associated with a printed version. Pre-press files used for the production of 16 printed newspapers are collected and preserved by LINC Tasmania (LTas), NTL and the State Library of South Australia (SLSA). These digital newspapers are listed in Appendix D of this report. Access to these newspapers is generally online through the library’s website but is, in the case of the Port Lincoln Times, being provided through microfilm produced from the electronic file.
Five Year Plan reporting: A new goal added to the Five Year Plan (2010-2015) this year is to investigate the technical and access issues associated with collecting the following two categories of Australian digital newspapers, for both their full-text content and the ‘look and feel’:
a. digital newspapers which are not associated with a printed version
b. pre-press digital files used for the production of hard copy newspapers;
and keeping a ‘watching brief’ on those categories of Australian digital newspapers and news material which are not currently being addressed through ANPlan.
Progress has included developing a list of digital newspapers of the type described under (a.) above (see Five Year Plan in Appendix A of this report). The State Library of Queensland (SLQ) has prepared a draft business proposal for its executive to consider which concerns the deposit of pre-press digital newspapers with the SLQ and the provision of access to them. Once approved, it is planned to submit this proposal to a Queensland newspaper publisher.
B. Reformatting
Key Indicator 4: Microfilming
The percentage of their state/territory’s hard copy newspaper titles which ANPlan libraries estimate they have been able to microfilm ranges from 45 to 100%. Over the past year, this estimated percentage has risen most markedly for national newspapers which have all now been microfilmed.[8] The percentage of these microfilmed newspapers which have been filmed to current preservation standards[9] is very high for most states and territories.
A list of Australian newspaper titles microfilmed in 2012/13 is given in Appendix E.
Five Year Plan reporting: Progress over 2012/13 with preserving ‘at risk’ titles has included the completion of the filming of the Evening Journal (Adelaide, 1869-1912) and the commencement of filming the Journal (Adelaide; 1912-1923). Of the 148 ‘at risk’ newspapers listed in the Five Year Plan (2010-2015; Appendix A), 88 have been microfilmed, two have been filmed for part of the designated date range and 58 are yet to be filmed.
Key Indicator 5: Digitisation
The number of digitised newspapers which are being made accessible through Trove, for at least some of their life date range, has been grown rapidly, reaching 473 at the end of June 2013. A comparison of the total number of newspapers accessible through Trove from June2009 to June 2013 is shown graphically below.
Titles of all Australian newspapers known to be digitised at 30 June 2013 are given in Appendices F (titles accessible through Trove) and G (titles known to be digitised but not available through Trove). The total number of newspapers which have been digitised, but are not available through Trove, is 48 (last year: 50).[10]
Five year plan reporting: A goal of the revised Five Year Plan (Appendix A) is to develop guidelines and standards for digitising newspapers for preservation purposes and to influence the development and promote the adoption of best practice guidelines in digital preservation to ensure permanent access to digitised and digital newspapers. The NLA provides specifications for those wishing to contribute digitised newspaper material to Trove.
A goal of the current Five Year Plan (Appendix A) is to contribute all digitised newspaper content to the ANDP as outlined in the NLA’s Contributor Guidelines. The number of newspapers digitised outside this framework has now decreased due to two titles which have become available on Trove.
A goal of the current Five Year Plan is to provide and maintain digital access to those titles and corresponding date ranges listed in the ANDP, Phase 1. Of the 107 titles listed, 105 have been completed (according to microfilm availability). The remaining two include one which is partially complete and one which is yet to be digitised.
C. Acetate replacement
Key Indicator 6: Replacing acetate microfilm
Replacing unstable acetate microfilm with polyester film is one of the strategies which ANPlan libraries have been using to preserve access to their newspaper collections. In 2012/13, two libraries undertook the replacement of acetate master microfilm with polyester. These were the SLQ which replaced 124 reels (17 titles) and the SLNSW which replaced 1,078 reels (34 titles) which had recently been transferred from the University of New England. These titles are listed in Appendix H of this report. In 2013, the SLV conducted an audit of acetate masters finding that 5,795 reels of acetate masters remain. (This includes 402 acetate masters of newspaper titles from other states). A number of ANPlan libraries have now completed acetate duplication projects for their first generation newspaper microform collections or hold no acetate master microfilm. These are LTas, NLA, NTL and the SLSA.
D. Storage
Key Indicator 7: Storing hard copy newspapers
ANPlan libraries are generally able to store the hard copy newspapers which they hold primary responsibility for under ANPlan under environmental conditions which they consider to be optimal. Two libraries report that they are unable to store 100% of their newspapers ideally. This is identical to responses these libraries gave last year. The environmental conditions under which newspapers are stored are reported in the table beneath the graph. These conditions vary somewhat across the libraries with reported potential storage temperatures ranging from 13°C to 25°C and humidity ranging from 30 to 55%RH. All data refers to newspapers which libraries hold primary responsibility for under ANPlan—newspapers published in their state/territory.