Module 5:
Victorian Collections
Victorian Collections is an online collection management system and public website designed for small to medium-sized collecting organisations in Victoria.
The program is delivered in partnership between the Australian Museums and Galleries Association Victoria and Museums Victoria, and has been made possible by funding from Creative Victoria.
How does Victorian Collections work?
For eligible organisations – such as museums, galleries, libraries, archives and historical societies – that care for our state’s historical, community and artistic collections, the Victorian Collections collection management system (CMS) offers a free option for managing and sharing those collections.
The Victorian Collections CMS enables organisations to record the appearance, history and story of each item in their collection, as well as important information about how the organisation is managing the items, to ensure that they are cared for into the future.
Once a collection item has been catalogued, the organisation can decide whether to share that item on the Victorian Collections public website for members of the public, students, and researchers to search, browse and explore. A single search can reveal items relating to a particular theme or family across many collections from around Victoria.
What about oral history collections?
Many collecting organisations have oral history recordings within their collections. Victorian Collections has the capacity to upload digital recordings to an organisation’s collection catalogue, and to share these via the item’s record on the public website.
The Victorian Collections CMS supports the recording and sharing of the details of oral histories, including catalogue fields for transcripts, copyright and access requirements, and the ability to upload additional images or files that may be relevant.
The Victorian Collections public website also includes a story-telling section, called VC Stories. Anyone can apply to author a story that has a connection to the state of Victoria. VC Stories can include video and audio, in addition to still images and text-based information.
How can I find out more?
If you are planning an oral history project or have oral history collections you are working to document and digitise, we encourage you to reach out to the Victorian Collections team to learn more about how it might work best for you and your organisation.
