About AusStage > Resource Directory

How do people research the performing arts in Australia? With so many significant collections, both large and small, how do they find what they're looking for?

AusStage can help users find items in collections. Whether searching for people, venues, organisations or productions, AusStage can direct users to digital resources and material objects in libraries, archives and museums.

The AusStage Resource Directory is a database of information on collections, items and resources related to Australia's performing arts heritage. Its aim is to provide information on where research resources are located - in institutions such as libraries, museums and universities, with theatre or other performing arts companies, or with individual collectors.

The Resource Directory is aimed at performing arts researchers in universities and collections, government agencies and industry organisations. It allows a search of relevant source material without the immediate need for extensive travel. Such an extensive listing of these resources has not previously been attempted in any form, or been available online.

The Resource Directory supports discovery and access to items in collections in various ways by:

• associating collection and item descriptions with AusStage records on people, venues, organisations and productions
• directing users to item records, collection descriptions and finding aids in online catalogues and collection websites
• linking users directly to digitised resources (text, pictures, sound, moving image) in digital archives and online repositories
• hosting item-level cataloguing for smaller collections seeking to integrate their resources within a national database

These developments at AusStage enable users to easily engage and interact with the rich history and heritage of the performing arts in Australia. Using AusStage to streamline discovery and access will lead to improved opportunities for research and education, and increased visibility for performing arts collections.

The Resource Directory is built upon the Dublin Core Metadata Element Set. It supports an extensible array of resource types and description styles, including collection-level, item-level, and bibliographic descriptions.

Resource records are integrated into AusStage through associations with records in the Event, Contributor, Organisation, Venue, Content Indicator, Secondary Genre and Resource tables. Resource records may also link externally to online resources using persistent URLs.

AusStage exports and imports in XML and other text formats so that metadata can be shared with digital repositories and catalogues.

We welcome the use of our feedback facility or contact us  to alert us to any organisation or person that may be included in this directory.

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