Trove’s funding runs out in July 2023 – and the National Library is threatening to pull the plug. It’s time for a radical overhaul

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 04:44:15 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/troves-funding-runs-out-in-july-2023-and-the-national-library-is-threatening-to-pull-the-plug-its-time-for-a-radical-overhaul-197025>

"The National Library is threatening to pull the plug on Trove, its free online
service that provides public access to collections from Australian libraries,
universities, museums, galleries and archives.

In its recent Trove Strategy, the library has indicated that without additional
government support, it will shut the service down by July next year:

The future of Trove beyond July 2023 will be dependent upon available funds
[…] In a limited funding environment, Trove may reduce to a service focused
on the National Library of Australia’s collections. Without any additional
funds, the Library will need to cease offering the Trove service entirely.

It’s been nearly seven years since the #fundTrove campaign, a response to
budget cuts to the National Library of Australia in 2016. (These were part of
the Turnbull government’s “efficiency dividend”, which cut $20 million from the
budgets of six Canberra-based cultural institutions over four years.)

That campaign resulted in a government funding package for Trove intended to
rescue the popular service, which was topped up with more cash last year.

But in recent months it has become increasingly clear the National Library of
Australia was never cured of its funding ills, and Trove was just on life
support."

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics

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