Budget Dollars Strengthen Archives’ Digital Capabilities

Government has allocated $12.6 million of Budget money to Archives New Zealand and the National Library over the next four years to develop and implement a full-scale industrial digital archive.

Archives New Zealand’s Acting Chief Executive Greg Goulding said, “this is a hugely important development for Archives New Zealand. Having the capability to manage digital archives is fundamental to the department’s continued position as the government’s lead agency on records and archives management and preservation.

“The new archive means we can take in large-scale transfers of government agency digital records, such as email messages, videos, databases and electronic documents. We’ll then actively preserve and maintain these records so they remain accessible to agencies and the public into the future.

“The new archive will utilise Archive’s New Zealand’s existing infrastructure and build on functions developed for the National Library’s National Digital Heritage Archive,” Mr Goulding said.

“This means we will not be starting from scratch. We will be sharing infrastructure, pooling expertise, saving costs and building on a solid foundation which already exists. Having looked at other international systems we decided to use the core technologies already used by the National Library.

“We look forward to working with the National Library on this project.”

Archives New Zealand’s online search engine Archway will be extended to manage the necessary digital record metadata and the department will develop new tools around transfer and security in consultation with agencies.

“We aim to achieve a cost-effective, efficient and sustainable archive to ensure the ongoing security of public sector digital information including our own,” Mr Goulding said.

A public announcement about the Government Digital Archive was made by the Minister Responsible for Archives New Zealand Hon Nathan Guy at the Government Recordkeeping Forum held in Wellington on Tuesday 1 June http://www.beehive.govt.nz/minister/nathan+guy

ENDS

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