Services include
- conducting catalogue searches and listings of AIATSIS collections holdings
- arranging for individual and group research visits
- copying relevant material from the collections
- providing contacts for further research and relevant Indigenous organisations.
All information provided to you will be treated as confidential.
You can search our Mura® Collections catalogue or you can ask our Native Title Research and Access Officer to do the search for you.
To ensure your search will be useful, please provide the following information:
- name and geographical boundaries of your claim/research
- any personal names for whom you would like information
- lists of any searches that you have made from our catalogue.
Individual visits
You are welcome to visit the Reading Room to do your own searches. A number of computer terminals are set up for your use both in the Reading Room and in the Audiovisual Archives.
If you are planning to visit AIATSIS, please book an appointment with the Native Title Research and Access Officer as far in advance as possible so we can provide the best service for you. If you want to listen to tapes or view photographs or videos, an appointment will need to be booked two weeks in advance.
When making your appointment, please ensure that the Native Title Research and Access Officer knows any names, geographical areas, or language groups that you are interested in, so that material can be ready for you when you arrive.
Some information in the collections has restricted access and is shown clearly on the catalogue record. If you want to view a document that you know is restricted, let the Native Title Research and Access Officer know well in advance of your visit. The Native Title Research and Access Officer can also help you to arrange clearances, but please remember that this process can take some time.
Group visits
The Native Title Research and Access Officer can organise group visits, but you need to make your appointment at least four weeks in advance. You will need to tell us the number of people in your group and search terms so that listings can be ready for you when you arrive.
Tours of the Library and the Audiovisual Archives can be set up for you if needed, but please let us know of your interest in advance.
Copying relevant material
If you are doing research at AIATSIS, you can make photocopies of material held in the library, except where restrictions apply. All copying must be done in accordance with the Copyright Act 1968. The Native Title Research and Access Officer can help answer any questions you may have about what can be copied.
Copying of any rare and fragile items needs to be arranged with the Collection Managers and there may be a fee for these. You can also find many links on our MURA® catalogue to documents that have been digitised.
If you want copies of audio tapes, photographs or slides, films or videos, the Native Title Research and Access Officer will work with you to arrange copies with the Audiovisual Archives, who will make duplicates onsite. If the items you require have been digitised, copies may be made available quickly, otherwise there may be a lengthy waiting period. The Audiovisual Archives requires prepayment before making any copies.
The Native Title Research and Access Officer can also provide you with a list of organisations that can be help you in preparing your claim/research, such as Native Title Representative Bodies and Service Providers.
Other services
The Native Title Research and Access Officer compiles a bibliography of recently catalogued items held by the Library and Audiovisual Archives that are of interest to native title researchers. These items are updated in each issue of the Native Title Newsletter.
Staff at AIATSIS have expertise in many areas - such as law and anthropology, and although we cannot provide advice on specific claims, you can speak to someone about an area of interest.
The Native Title Research and Access Officer can help you to establish contact with a relevant staff member.
Contact
Native Title Research and Access Officer
P: 02 6261 4223
F: 02 6249 7714
ntss@aiatsis.gov.au