Empowering our archives to be resilient

PARBICA 20 conference ‘Empowering our archives to be resilient’

7 - 9 November 2023

The rapid pace of technological advancement, while useful, can also cause further challenges for our archives and record keepers in the Pacific. You will be aware of concerns in the international audio-visual archives community that we are approaching a deadline to have audio-visual materials on magnetic tape digitised. The international consensus is that magnetic media that has not been digitised by 2025 will likely be lost forever. Tape degradation, obsolete playback equipment, a shortage of spare parts and a decline in relevant expertise all mean that the end of routine or large-scale transfer from magnetic tape is fast approaching. We are aware that many holdings in the pacific are housed on this media format, and we need to act now to ensure the long-term future of these important records to our communities.