Information
management,
libraries, archives, museums
2016
Allowing for depreciation: GLAM sector collaboration and convergence.
Abstract: Galleries, libraries, archives and museums, under the banner
of the GLAM sector, have been collaborating for more than 100 years.
Developments in information technology and communications have stimulated
new ways of collaborating and turned minds towards converging necessities.
There is some confusion about what convergence actually means. In the light
of economic forces, government policies and a recent report by CSIRO, what
are the dynamics of the Australian GLAM sector? What can be learnt from the
way other countries invest in the sector and create platforms to help people
locate resources held by GLAM institutions? What can be done to prepare the
sector for the future? Published in Thompson Reuters' Online Currents
February 2016. Full text.
2015
Finding the edge: the ALIA Information Online
Conference 2015. Abstract: The
2015 ALIA Information Online Conference explored trends on the management of
library facilities, systems and services, makerspaces, media labs, Trove and
discovery platforms, digitisation, creative use of collections, digital
literacy, the use of social media and collaboration. As a counterpoint to
his report on the conference presentations, Paul Bentley considers wider
commentary on library directions and the role of library conferences.
Published in
Thomson Reuters' Online Currents June 2015.
Full text
The record of our lives in the Age of the Selfie:
developments in personal digital archiving. Abstract: This
article by Paul Bentley explores trends in personal digital archiving.
People are using a wide range of software and online services to document
their lives. Questions have been raised about the way the lives of famous
people are being curated. There is increased interest in the lives of
ordinary people. The boundary between public and private lives has become
more blurred. Rights are navigated across a minefield. Highlighting the
opinions voiced in the recent book Personal Archiving: Preserving Our
Digital Heritage, the article explores why cultural heritage institutions
are revising their acquisition and preservation processes, working on
related data management standards, and educating the public about tools and
techniques. As libraries, archives and museums continue to devise ways of
acquiring and providing access to personal digital archives, future
directions will be shaped by further research, productivity questions and
the efforts of citizen archivists. Published in Thomson Reuters' Online
Currents December 2014. Full Text
2014
Routes to the future: library trends and
prognostications. Article by Paul Bentley. Abstract: This
article takes a look at library trends and prognostications as we check the
narrative of library participation in the information revolution during the
past decade in the pages of Online Currents since 2000. Drawing frequently
on the author’s own history of reporting on the sector, future megatrends
and technological developments are considered as contexts for the latest
soundings about libraries and the cultural heritage sector and what is
needed for their continued survival. Will it involve more of the same or
something completely different? Published in Thomson Reuters's Online
Currents, March 2014. Full Text
Body knowledge in bytes: the health industry
gears up for the 21st century. Article by Paul Bentley. Abstract:
As you get older the thought that the years are running out creates a
compelling interest in health and medical matters. After more than 4,600
years of development, health services now help you last longer. People who
last longer impose a heavy burden on national economies but, with the help
of the taxes they once paid, they keep lots of other people employed. In
this environment, online information is viewed not only as the means for
improving your health but also of keeping the lid on escalating costs.
Gearing up the health sector to capitalise on possibilities has been fraught
with teething problems. Libraries, archives and museums have in the past
been good places for finding out what makes you tick. In the age of
ubiquitous computing, how are their services being affected by online
imperatives? Published in Thomson Reuters' Online Currents August
2013. Full Text
2013
The theatre and concert program: documenting
Australia's performing arts heritage. Article by Paul Bentley on the history of the program,
the value of collections of programs, and the spelling of the word
program. Text
Catching lightning in a bucket: archiving the
performing arts in the digital age. Article by Paul Bentley. Abstract:
Online Currents in August 2012 reported on digital strategies by arts
organisations and individual artists to promote and distribute their work.
This related article explores endeavours to preserve the performing arts for
posterity. It looks at initiatives in the new digital environment to archive
stage performances and music in the United States, the United Kingdom and
Australia. It comments on issues for governments, the performing arts
industry and individual organisations in capturing the work of cultural
centres, theatres and concert halls, particularly in Australia. Published in Thomson Reuters' Online Currents April 2013.
Full text
Reinventing libraries for the mobile flaneurs: the odyssey continues.
Article by Paul Bentley. Abstract: The Australian Library and
Information Association held its biennial conference in Sydney on 10-13 July
2012. Keynote speakers commented on the nature of the digital universe and
library dynamics in this changing landscape. Those working in libraries
shared experiences about the National Broadband Network, redesigning
library websites, developing strategies for mobile users, amplifying local
history collections and other specialised resources, being inspired by and
collaborating with others, serving regional populations, dealing with a
crisis in school libraries, educating librarians, and energising library
associations. Observations are made about changing contexts, changing
libraries and changing associations. Published in Online Currents,
December 2012. Full text
Australia's first hospital and the landscape of health and medical museums
today. Paul Bentley reviews Caps and Veils: The nursing history of
Sydney Hospital matrons and its nurses 1788-1985 and looks at health and
medical museums in Australia and overseas, including the
Lucy-Osborn-Nightingale Foundation Museum. Originally published in Museums Australia
Magazine vol 21 no 2, Summer 2012 and reprinted by kind permission of
Museums Australia. Full text
2012
Being there without being there: the arts in the age of YouTube. Article
by Paul Bentley.
Abstract: The arts are picking up speed with digital technology.
Performing arts organisations and galleries are adopting new approaches to
produce shows, extend their audience reach, and sustain their businesses.
Artists are using the latest software to make works of art on mobile
devices. In a world shaped by the global financial crisis, governments and
research bodies are reassessing the nature and level of support to the arts.
The Australian Government is writing a new national cultural policy and
reviewing the role of its principal arts agency, the Australia Council. Will
the live performing arts and traditional art survive the digital revolution?
Published in Online Currents, August 2012.
Full Text
Morphing museums and the media. Paul Bentley writes on the converging
media landscape, the idea of museums as newspapers, collaboration by museums
with broadcasters and other online players, and the role of social media.
Edited version of article originally published by Museums Australia (NSW) in
Museum Matters, December 2011. Full
text
2011
Operating in a world of ornate variations and tipping points: the ALIA
Information Online Conference 2011, part 2.
Paul
Bentley
surveys papers from the parallel sessions of the conference,
capturing the work of librarians over the past two years. Issues on their
radar include leadership, library design, discovery services, metadata
management, user engagement, specialist services, professional identity and
skills. Post-conference developments and thoughts are also considered in
sketching out persistent challenges for the sector.
Published in Online Currents August 2011. Full text
Winning and losing in a world of new paradigms: the ALIA Information Online
Conference 2011, part 1. Paul Bentley reviews presentations by keynote
speakers at the ALIA Information Online Conference 2011. Internet trends and
prospects from the point of view of Google, businesses in general,
publishers, broadcasters, museums and librarians are considered against the
unfolding story of e-books, productivity opportunities wrought by social
media, and the future of libraries in a world of new paradigms. Published in
Online Currents June 2011. Full text
Creating a bit of magic: making museum exhibitions. Paul Bentley surveys
some of the literature on museum production and explores some of the
challenges in the use of technology by museums. Originally published by
Museums Australia (NSW) in Museum Matters December 2010.
Full text
2010
Supplier snapshots: a review of the trade at
the VALA 2010 conference. Paul Bentley gives an overview of marketplace
trends and snapshots of supplier products and services exhibited at the VALA
2010 conference. Published by
Thomson Reuters in Online
Currents vol 24 no 4 August 2010.
Talking up the back end in an evolving
revolution: the VALA conference 2010. Paul Bentley reviews the VALA 2010 conference in Melbourne, 8-11 February. Keynote speakers were
weathervanes for the changing dynamics of the networked world, the gift
economy, and a revolutionary Semantic Web, now composed of cloud
computing, Linked Data and APIs. Librarians were urged to step up their role
in the revolution. Stepping up will involve more work in the back end of the
business — strengthening cooperation, developing systems and applying
standards. Published by
Thomson Reuters in Online Currents
vol 24 no 3
June 2010. Full text
Mastering digital lives: cultural heritage
institutions tackle the tower of Babel. Paul Bentley reviews
personal digital practices in a Web 2.0 world and the implications for
cultural heritage institutions. Research projects examined include PARADIGM,
the Digital Lives Project, OCLC’s Sharing and Aggregating Social Metadata,
the Australian Government 2.0 Taskforce report and the Community Created
Content project of National and State Libraries Australasia. In a
circumspect conclusion, he raises a number of issues that need further
attention. Published by
Thomson Reuters in Online Currents
vol 24 no 2 April 2010. Full text
2009
Putting a value on museums: a question of
evidence. Article by Paul Bentley on funding museums.
Full text
Changing the horseshoe on a galloping horse:
connecting museums to information seekers. Abstract: Recent
Australian and overseas conferences have highlighted the work of museums in an
online environment. Paul Bentley discusses the conferences, reviews
international cataloguing and interoperability standards, and raises questions
about future directions. Published by
Thomson Reuters in Online Currents
vol 23 no 4, August 2009. Full text
Getting in the game of creative collaboration:
the ALIA Information Online Conference 2009. Abstract: Paul Bentley
reviews this year's ALIA Information Online Conference, held at Darling
Harbour, Sydney, in January. More than 1000 delegates attended the conference
to hear presentations on the latest contexts for operating library and
information services. Issues included Web 2.0 technologies and services,
metadata, digital resources and rights, teaching and reaching customers,
knowledge management, roles, skills and rewards. In assessing the
presentations, Bentley examines the buzz around change and innovation, spending
money wisely, and working creatively with others. Published by
Thomson Reuters in Online Currents
vol 23 no 2, April 2009. Full text
The digital economy dance: getting into step with
Government policy. Abstract: Australian governments have
wrestled with the information economy for more than a decade. The Rudd
Government is positioning itself for the upcoming tussle, educated by the
experience of its predecessors. The Collections Council of Australia,
established to lead the collections sector towards a converging future, is
still finding its footing as the libraries, archives, galleries and museums
work out how best to be part of the action. Where are they up to? Where do they
go from here? Published by Thomson
Reuters in Online Currents vol 23 no 1, February, 2009.
Full text.
Turning old songs into a new chorus. Article
on museum advocacy by Paul Bentley reprinted with kind permission of Museums
Australia NSW Branch. Full text.
2007
Embedding librarians in a world of dirty data:
the Information Online Conference {2007]. Article by Paul Bentley reprinted
with kind permission of Online Currents.
Full text.
2006
Changing museums and galleries [2006].
Article by Paul Bentley reprinted from Museum Matters December 2006.
Full text
2005
Baking a new pie: library and information
associations in an online world [2005]. Article by Paul Bentley, reprinted
from Online Currents, November 2005. Full text
Evolving stages: Australian performing arts
online [2005]. Article by Paul Bentley reprinted with kind permission of
Online Currents, July/August 2005. Full text.
Fighting bush fires: the 2005 Information Online
Conference. Article by Paul Bentley reprinted with kind permission of
Online Currents, March 2005. Full text.
2004
ARLIS/ANZ and the Australian Visual Arts
Information Project [2004]. Paper by Paul Bentley presented at the National
Library of Australia forum, May 2004. Full text
Leading Libraries, Archives & Museums: a Senate
Inquiry Post Script [2004]. Article by Paul Bentley reviewing the report of
the Senate Inquiry on the Role of Libraries in the Online Environment,
reprinted from Online Currents, July/August 2004.
Full text
Libraries in the online environment, part 1:
contexts [2004[. Article by Paul Bentley reviewing the report of the Senate
Inquiry on the Role of Libraries in the Online Environment, reprinted from
Online Currents, January/February 2004. Full text
Libraries in the online environment, part 2: challenges [2004]. Article by
Paul Bentley reviewing the report of the Senate Inquiry on the Role of
Libraries in the Online Environment, reprinted from Online Currents, May
2004. Full text.
Measuring a knowledge-based economy & society [2004]. Presentation by Paul
Bentley to NSW KM Forum 1 April 2004. Summary.
Serving the arts: ARLIS/ANZ 1975-2025. Paper by Paul Bentley presented at
the ARLIS/ANZ Conference September 2004. Text
Bibliography
Chronology
2003
Arts Hub Australia [2003]. The story of Arts
Hub Australia - ‘the online home for Australian arts and cultural workers’ –
provides valuable lessons on attitudes, skills and tools for success in the
information game and it prompts questions about the management of Australian
information resources. Article by Paul Bentley reprinted with kind permission
of Online Currents, October 2003. Full text.
Information roles: a question of maturity?
A view of the Information Online Conference 2003. Article by Paul
Bentley, reprinted from Online Currents, January/February 2003.
Full text.
The role of
libraries in the online environment [2003]. Submissions by Paul Bentley
on behalf of the Wolanski Foundation to the inquiry conducted by the Senate
Environment, Communications, Information Technology and Arts References
Committee, August 2002 and May 2003. Executive
Summary. The
Full text available on Australian Parliament Senate site. If the URL
doesn't work, go to the Australian Parliament House site http:/www.aph.gov.au
select the Committees link and drill down.
Stinking libraries, disappearing librarians and
the invisible web. A view of the Information Online Conference 2003,
part 2. An article by Paul Bentley reprinted with kind permission of Online
Currents, April 2003. Text
Turning the light bulbs on: getting ideas to the
information consumer [2003]. Seminar at the 11th Australasian Information
Online Conference, Darling Harbour, Sydney 20-24 January 2003.
Summary,
Program Presenters Registration form,
Who's
Who in Australia Live! [2003]. An article by Paul Bentley first
published in December 2003 and reprinted with kind permission of Online
Currents. Text
2002
Driving Australian e-culture: the OZeculture
Conference 2002. Article by Paul Bentley, reprinted from Online Currents,
October 2002. Full text.
Searching for the next sigmoid curve: the ALIA
Conference 2002. Article by Paul Bentley reprinted from Online Currents,
July/August 2002. Text.
Why aren’t we at the table?
[2002] Letter
by Paul Bentley re involvement of library sector in development of national
information plan reprinted in Australian Library Journal Aug 2002.
Text
2001
Arts and industry talk spaces [2001].
Article by Paul Bentley on ALIA Information Specialists Division round tables,
formed to pinpoint interests, help shape strategy, contribute information and
build connections. 2001. Full text
Australian culture seeks e-business direction:
impressions of the Ozeculture conference, June 2001. Article by Paul
Bentley, reprinted from Online Currents, September 2001.
Full text
Digital resources for research in the
humanities: the Computing Arts Conference, Sydney, September 2001. Article
by Paul Bentley, reprinted from Online Currents, December 2001.
Full text
Integrating diverse interests [2001].
Article by Paul Bentley on Museum Australia Performing Arts Special Interest
Group Conference in Canberra, 23-24 April 2001. Full
text.
Shifts in the sand: information online 2001.
Article by Paul Bentley on information industry trends and speculation on the
role of governments, professional associations and libraries, reprinted from
Online Currents, December 2000. Text
Stage
byte: Australian performing arts online [2001]. Article by Paul Bentley on
performing arts industry sites, services and sources, libraries, archives and
museums, and issues, reprinted from Online Currents, January/February 2001.
Text
2000
Performing
arts information projects and initiatives [2000]. An
extract from a report completed in July 2000 by Paul Bentley for Flinders
University on information standards relevant to the development of a national
database on Australian theatre practice. Text
Performing
arts organisations and digital technology [2000]. Review
by Paul Bentley of Cinemedia's Performing Arts Multimedia Library Pilot Project and
a reflection on
the use of digital technology for
managing information, marketing and audience development in Australian
performing arts organisations. Full
text
Scratching the surface: arts information
management in Australia: the role of special interest groups [2000].
Paper by Paul Bentley speculating on the
role of ARLIS/ANZ, IAML and PASIG in the context of restructuring, joint
venture and networking trends in the information industry. Summary
or full text
1998
Acting
on a new stage: performing arts information management in New South Wales
[1998].
Report by Paul
Bentley examining the management of performing arts information in libraries, archives and
museums following the closure of the Dennis Wolanski Library of the Performing
Arts in 1997. Summary
or Full
text
Merging
arts information and curatorial associations in Australia:
a draft proposal [1998].
Paper by Paul
Bentley looking at management of membership, liaison, finances, conferences, publications,
websites and other projects. Proposes options for development of groups in the
future. Summary
or full text
Virtually
yours: IAML in the 21st century: more of the same or something completely
different? [1998]. Paper by Paul Bentley describing the history and achievements of IAML Australia and the role of
kindred organisations. Suggests possible operational changes. Full
text
