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.