Beyond the Book: Redefining Rarity in a Digital Age

In twenty years will the most valuable collection items still be printed on paper, or born in code? Join a cross-sector panel from the NFSA, ACMI, and the PMI Library to explore the future and evolution of collecting in a post-print world.

Learn how born-digital materials are reshaping what institutions preserve, the challenges of obsolescence, and sourcing material in the first place, and how smaller cultural organisations, like the PMI Library, are navigating an increasingly digital heritage.

Attendees will gain insight into how collectors and institutions alike can future-proof their work, ensuring today’s digital voices don’t become tomorrow’s lost history. Expect a lively conversation on technology, authenticity, and what “collecting rare” will mean in 20 years.

Panellists are:

• Ellen Coates, Collections Librarianat the PMI Victorian History Library
• Johanna McMahon, Assistant Curator, Industries Collection Acquisition Programs at NFSA
• Taryn Ellis, Digital Preservation Archivist at ACMI

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