culture.gov.au

Connecting you with Australian culture online

Collections, documentation and exhibitions

Resources relating to collecting institutions, exhibitions and the documentation and interpretaion of collections.

Collections

The collections area incorporates four domains: galleries, archives, libraries and museums, sometimes referred to as GLAM.

• Galleries - coordinated on a state level by organisations such as Museums & Galleries NSW.
• Libraries Australia is a resource sharing service coordinated which is used for reference, collection development, cataloguing and interlibrary lending.
• Archives Australia promotes good records management in Australian Government agencies, manages the valuable records of our nation and make them accessible now and for future generations.
• Museums Australia is the national organisation for the museums sector, committed to the conservation, continuation and communication of Australia's heritage.

The Collections Council of Australia (CCA) has been established to ensure the nation-wide sustainability of collections by consulting with key stakeholders to resolve common issues and to promote the value of the sector.

The Collections Australia Network (CAN) portal is a public gateway to collecting institutions across Australia.

Documentation and interpretation

Significance 2.0: a guide to assessing the significance of collections - Collections Council of Australia

Exhibitions

Links to exhibition resources:

• Museum and Gallery Services Queensland providing a range of programs and services in the areas of information and advice, training and professional development, exhibition development and touring and by promoting the achievements of Queensland galleries and museums through activities that profile and recognise their activities.
• National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA) Gallery Hire & Exhibition Services
• Arts access Australia Resources
• National Exhibition Touring Support (NETS) provides a coordinated national approach to touring exhibition programming, audience development initiatives, public and education programming and professional development, with an emphasis on regional access.
• Exhibitions: a practical guide for small museums and galleries is the first step-by-step guide book on how to initiate, manage and deliver an exhibition.

Venues

The Collections Australia Network website allows you to browse through a database of venues around Australia.

Browse the Culture Portal's database of:

• Galleries & museums
• Archives & libraries
• Collecting institutions