Digital transformation at media archives: Ten steps to becoming digital by design

Abstract

The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) has embraced digital — building collections and enabling access to them for use and reuse, and integrating digital experiences into its events and exhibitions. Digital transformation at the NFSA is not so much about transformation from analogue to digital; rather, it is about evolution from a first generation, hybrid analogue/digital film archive to an archive that is digital by design. ‘Analogue’ and ‘digital’ are not mutually exclusive or opposing forces. The NFSA’s physical collections, the onsite and online exhibitions, programmes, events and even the building are an integral part of the NFSA’s digitisation process. By making its archive ‘digital by design’, the NFSA’s intention is to think, act and be digital first — for digital experiences to be an intrinsic part of the life of the archive and the people who learn, experience and create with it. This article shares the principles behind becoming digital by design and the steps that the NFSA is taking to realise this digital transformation. The article also discusses the importance of people and culture, in addition to the structure of the organisation.