The sounds of the ABC

 A sign of the times? 

The ABC has made the decision to close its libraries in Adelaide, Hobart and Perth.

Background article from 'The Guardian' on the ABC's decision to axe its Sound Library and make its ten specialist Librarians redundant.

Quotable quotes:

• The ABC is dismantling its historic sound and reference libraries (which are packed full of 100,000 CDs and 373,000 vinyl as well as books and journals after 85 years of collecting) across the country and making 10 specialist librarians redundant to free up floor space and save on wages.
• Library sources say they believe between 5% and10 % of the collection will be digitised into the Broadcast Music Bank.
• ABC Broadcaster Lucky Oceans stated “The theory behind it is that people aren’t using hard copies and that it’s all digitised. But you know it’s those same people who were saying that vinyl is dead."
• The extensive collections in Adelaide and Sydney would all but disappear, along with all the skill and knowledge of the library staff to “better align our operations with the ABC’s strategic aims”.

 

And in art imitating life or life imitating art a Radio National article on cuts to Trove.