Literary archives in the digital age: issues and encounters with Australian writers

Abstract

In considering what constitutes the ideal born-digital literary archive and what interventions are possible, or even necessary, from a collecting institution in determining the make-up and future accessibility of these archives, this article examines, through a set of case studies, the collections and creative methodologies of four Australian writers – Peter Carey, Sonya Hartnett, Alex Miller and Ouyang Yu. The article considers how these writers have negotiated with, and managed, their creative output in the digital space, and how, as a collecting institution, State Library Victoria has responded to their respective requirements of the medium and expectations for how a major institution will deal with their digital collections. Finally, the article examines what practical technologies are necessary to provide a secure digital repository while facilitating access and the delivery of born-digital literary content to the user, both now and into the future.