It's a trove of treasures we've learned to take for granted.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
But Trove, one of Australia's most treasured online resources, may disappear in six months if the National Library of Australia can't secure extra funding for it.
The library confirmed Wednesday that federal funding for Trove, the database containing millions of archives, images, newspapers, official documents, manuscripts and archived websites, was due to run out in June 2023.
And it confirmed there were no extra funding promises beyond that date.
"As outlined in the Portfolio Budget Statement 2022-23, the library's operating appropriation will fall $13m - 21 per cent - from July 2023 due to a number of funding measures, including Trove support, terminating at the same time," a spokesperson said.
The service is used by millions of Australians - a godsend for academics, family historians, journalists and many more - and requires extensive funding to maintain.
The library said it was in "active discussions with government about funding required to maintain Trove and other services", but that these were "Budget-in-confidence" and couldn't be detailed.
The news follows similar concerns from the National Gallery of Australia, which warned earlier this month that it could be forced to close two days a week, and charge general admission, if it did not receive extra funding.
The library said its council was considering "all available options for Trove's future in the first half of 2023", including existing revenue streams like annual fees from member organisations, a digital partner program, and its ongoing philanthropic strategy.
"However, these revenue sources do not and cannot support the costs of maintaining Trove's infrastructure. Additional and continuing government support is needed to maintain the service," the spokesperson said.
But the library maintained it was not considering a pay-per-view fee for Trove access, nor would it consider deaccessioning any parts of its library collection.
READ MORE:
Canberra's various national cultural institutions have long been in the grip of the federal government's long-running efficiency dividend, and have endured many years of staff redundancies, cuts to public programs and services, and a general diminution of their abilities to fulfil their mandated roles.
Federal Arts Minister Tony Burke has committed to addressing the past decade of "neglect" under a Coalition government, and is now in the process of developing a new national cultural policy.
Labor member for Canberra, Alicia Payne, said while many institutions had issued dire warnings over the years due to relentless government funding cutbacks, they were rarely exaggerating.
"These are not empty threats," she said. "They are very genuine in their need for more money."
And she warned that many would lose momentum in collecting, archiving and exhibiting to the point where they could not be restored.
"They've all been very resourceful in avoiding things like staff cuts and keeping things going," she said.
"But it's about how they can build on what they're doing, rather than keeping the lights on and avoiding sacking staff."
She said although she had long championed cultural institutions as the member for Canberra, this was an issue for all Australians.
"If we as a nation get behind them, we'll see how important our cultural institutions are.
"And this is about more than Canberra - it's about all Australians. Our institutions should be able to expand to take their collections out to the country as well."
Meanwhile, the library was also undergoing extensive renovations in the wake of the January 2020 hailstorm that had bled into a larger capital works project.
Like the gallery, the library was housed in a purpose-built, heritage building that needed constant repairs and upgrades.
"The replacement of the roof is being funded through a combination of insurance coverage and library cash reserves," the spokesperson said.
"We estimate works of in excess of $93m will be required over the next nine years for absolutely essential building maintenance and rectification works, such as accessibility, replacing failing windows, and replacing the past end-of-life heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems ... and rectifying numerous leaks that were not the result of the hailstorm."
We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.
Sally Pryor
As features editor at The Canberra Times, I love telling people things they didn't know - or even things they've always known - about the city we live in.
As features editor at The Canberra Times, I love telling people things they didn't know - or even things they've always known - about the city we live in.
