17th SEAPAVAA CONFERENCE
Redefining the Audiovisual Archives in the Digital Age
27-31 May 2013
Asia Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand
The following statements were developed and adopted by conference delegates at the conclusion of the two-day Symposium on 27-28 May 2013.
Concluding Statements
- Archives which have been developed over time are continuously being redefined.
- The digital era presents opportunities and challenges to the archival institutions but archives will continue to exist because the work of archives is meant to last.
- Archives need to recognise the difference between preserving moving images and sound recordings in the analogue versus the digital domains.
- Archiving processes such as appraisal, selection, documentation and metadata enrichment remain relevant in the digital era.
- Archives become more valuable when we are able to understand and anticipate what users want and allow the archival contents to be meaningfully utilised by stakeholders.
- Archives need to re-think how we can make our work necessary and relevant to the community in order to gain support for what we do.
- Legislation pertaining to AV archiving needs to keep pace as the archiving profession has already evolved along with the digital era.
- Technological changes have permitted archives to innovate the management, preservation, documentation and provision of access to their collections.
- While social media is transitory by nature, archives are distinct, authoritative and permanent primary sources of information. Archives need to maintain trust in their distinctiveness.
- Audiovisual archivists need to maintain their current skills while acquiring new and targeted skills so that they may contribute positively to the advancement of their respective institutions in the redefining archiving framework.
- Coordinated advocacy and lobbying are critical to promote the status and visibility of AV archiving and the AV heritage in each country.
- Communication and cooperation among archival institutions, individual archivists and professional associations are vital to the rapid advancement of the AV archiving field and to the deepening of knowledge and expertise.