(23 Feb 2021) An audit report on the management of collections held by the National Library of Australia and the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) has praised the organisations’ management practices, but highlights issues with long-term storage.
The report, released by the Australian National Audit Office on Monday, noted that the entities’ collections are worth a combined $1.6 billion.
While past ANAO audits in 1998, 2005 and 2018 have found “shortcomings” in the acquisition, conservation and security of collections, the office’s latest report has described the entities’ collection management practices and strategic frameworks as “largely effective”.
Both organisations effectively store their collections, the report said. However, with the library’s current leasing arrangements set to end in 2025, the audit office has encouraged it to come up with a long-term storage solution that accommodates its growing physical collection.
In their response to the audit, Library Council chair Dr Brett Mason and director-general Dr Marie-Louise Ayres warned that funding would be needed to secure such storage.
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