SEAPAVAA Newsletter
Jan-Sept 1999

Editorial: Copyright in the AV industry

Country Updates

Features

Other Issues

	Robert Gwamuwe, acting national archivist of the Office of Libraries and Archives, Papua New Guinea, explains film archiving to a Malaysian colleague.

In response to requests for assistance from a number of cultural institutions in the Pacific to develop their audiovisual preservation and access, Screen-Sound Australia had secured funds to conduct a "needs analysis" survey throughout the region to determine the optimum way in which assistance could be made. Rather than respond to each individual request, a strategic plan was adopted taking into account the collective needs of the region as well as the need of each collection.

Four countries, namely Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Fiji, and Samoa were chosen for the "needs analysis" based on the size of collections, previous contact, and the degree to which their collections represented the needs and resources of the region. The analysis focused on common problems of storage, treatment, training, and management.

The study, which was undertaken in order to get an overview of the level of AV archive management skills throughout the Pacific region, derived information from about 20 institutions or individuals who maintain AV collections of historical nature. Additional observations were obtained from UNESCO and other sources such as professionals who have visited these places in recent years.

The study reported that most collections surveyed were not properly documented and very few had an active collection development and access program. Storage facilities and conditions were basic and in most cases inadequate to effectively retard deterioration exacerbated by high temperatures and humidities typical in these regions throughout the year.

The observations resulting from the survey stressed the urgent need for AV archive management training for the region because the traditions and cultural information were recorded on rapidly deteriorating media and would soon be reduced to colonial interpretations or administrative records. Effective action through regional cooperation of sponsors, training providers and the institution themselves was further recommended. It was also proposed that SEAPAVAA work through the Pacific Islands Museum Association (PIMA) to deliver AV management strategies to these Pacific institutions.

The report further stressed the need for SEAPAVAA to address the issue of national responsibility and to work with other national bodies like UNESCO and PIMA to develop professionalism in AV management to ensure the preservations of the Pacific cultures. These issues and concerns of the Pacific region were discussed in the SEAPAVAA executive council meeting in April this year following the recently concluded fourth general assembly and, consequently, council member Julian Millar of the New Zealand Film Archive was designated to oversee the concerns of the Pacific region.