6.6.1 Introduction

6.6.1.1  The OAIS Reference Model defines “access” as the entity that “provides the services and functions that support consumers in determining the existence, description, location and availability of information stored in the OAIS, and allowing consumers to request and receive information products.” In other words, access is the mechanisms and process where content is found and retrieved. IASA-TC 03 “The Safeguarding of the Audio Heritage: Ethics, Principles and Preservation Strategy” makes the point that “the primary aim of an archive is to ensure sustained access to stored information”. The preservation of the content is a prerequisite to sustained access to the content, and in a well planned archive access is a direct outcome of it.

6.6.1.2  In its simplest form, access is the ability to locate content and, in response to an authorised request, allow retrieval of the content for listening, or possibly, as long as the rights associated with a work allow it, creating a copy that can be taken away. In the connected digital environment access can be provided remotely. Access, however, is more than just the ability to deliver an item. Most technically constructed archival systems can deliver an audio file on request, but a true access system provides finding and searching capability, delivery mechanisms and allows interaction and negotiation regarding content. It adds a new dimension to access beyond that of conquering distance. In this new services based model of retrieval, access could be considered a dialogue between the provider’s system and the user’s browser.