[LINK] Internet leading to cultural 'black hole': Library

[Tom Koltai]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: link-bounces at mailman1.anu.edu.au 
> [mailto:link-bounces at mailman1.anu.edu.au] On Behalf Of 
> Bernard Robertson-Dunn
> Sent: Monday, 20 April 2009 10:31 AM
> To: link
> Subject: [LINK] Internet leading to cultural 'black hole': Library
> 
> 
> <brd>
> Haven't we always had "black holes" in our recorded history?
> eg before printing and before reading/writing became widespread.
> 
> Plus ça change, plus ça meme chose.
> //</brd>
> 
> Internet leading to cultural 'black hole': Library
> Asher Moses
> April 20, 2009 - 7:48AM
> WA Today 
> http://www.watoday.com.au/sport/internet-leading-to-cultural-b
> lack-hole-library-20090420-abv1.html
> 
> Australia is in danger of losing its cultural heritage and 
> much of its 
> recent history if ephemeral material on the web isn't archived for 
> future generations, the National Library of Australia has warned.


Excellent article. I have for some time been an observer and amateur
commentator on this phenomenom and would like to add again my concern
over the lack of archival resources aimed at our movie and telvision
history.

Of the 70,000 movies and shorts made in Australia since 1908 - less than
1,000 are available to the public from the national Film Archives.

-------------
Quote/ from http://www.nla.gov.au/policy/clrcld.html

3.1 The National Film and Sound Archive and the National Library of
Australia play important roles in implementing the Commonwealth's
cultural development policy, defined in Creative Nation as:

    * nurturing creativity and excellence;
    * enabling all Australians to enjoy the widest possible range of
cultural experience;
    * preserving Australia's heritage;
    * promoting the expression of Australia's cultural identity; and
    * developing lively and sustainable cultural industries, including
those evolving with the emergence of new technologies [2].

3.2 The Cultural Ministers' Council has endorsed the statement National
Conservation and Preservation Policy for Movable Cultural Heritage which
recognises

    * the need to conserve and preserve Australia's movable cultural
heritage; and
    * the important right of the Australian people to have a reasonable
and an equitable opportunity of access to their movable cultural
heritage, subject to cultural restrictions or sensitivities [3]
/quote
-------------------


Interestingly - almost 150 of those are available on P2P - without any
administration or oncost - beyond bandwidth.

I am now seeing on a global basis searches for films from the 20's and
30's containing Buster Keaton, the Three Stooges, etc.

<a
href="ed2k://|file|Big%20Times%20Buster%20Keaton.mpg|167835652|5CF3BCD05
5C9356E5F27CEE89906B5FF|/">Big Times Buster Keaton.mpg</a>
 
Available from 320 sources

<a
href="ed2k://|file|Buster%20Keaton.avi|735838208|B9E6518C673060555004C0A
52DE645E7|/">Buster Keaton.avi</a>

Available from 413 sources


On Australian Classics


<a
href="ed2k://|file|The.Sundowners.1960.DVDRip.XviD-.avi|1469001728|9D84B
7227DABB099FB701728AB994687|/">The.Sundowners.1960.DVDRip.XviD-.avi</a>

Available from 70 sources 

<a
href="ed2k://|file|The%20Adventures%20of%20Barry%20McKenzie%20(1972,Bruc
e%20Beresford).avi|706955264|B20ED3627E00A550B395D2B8671278C9|/">The
Adventures of Barry McKenzie (1972,Bruce Beresford).avi</a>

Available from 5 sources

I could continue to list examples - but possibly it is time to consider
that P2P is archiving for free quite a lot of our heritage that is not
being archived by the government.

Tom






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