Grants now open - community groups urged to help preserve Aussie heritage The Director General of the National Library of Australia, Ms Jan Fullerton, is pleased to launch the Community Heritage Grants 2000 program. Community Heritage Grants of up to $8,000 assist in the preservation of documentary heritage material that is judged to be of national significance. Whilst speaking about the program, Ms Fullerton indicated that much of the documentary heritage found within the archives of community based organisations was of vital importance to the wealth of collected knowledge about Australia and the Australian way of life. "The Community Heritage Grants make a difference. The program raises awareness of the importance of saving our heritage and provides a practical, accessible solution for community groups to help preserve their own history," Ms Fullerton said. Towns and communities across Australia including indigenous groups, multicultural groups and historical societies are encouraged to apply. This year's recipients will join 140 community organisations from around Australia who have already benefited from funds provided in past years. Since 1994, over $400,000 has been awarded. Whilst a wide range of activities may qualify for grants, the main purpose of the funding is to help community organisations provide the means and the expertise to implement their own preservation programs. Programs may include copying documents and photographs to more stable formats such as microfilm, storing letter collections and business records, providing preservation and conservation training and developing cooperative preservation projects. The Community Heritage Grants program is jointly funded by the National Library of Australia and the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts through its Distributed National Collection Program. Ansett Australia provides additional support for the Community Heritage Grants 2000 program. Application kits for Community Heritage Grants 2000 are available from the National Library of Australia ph: 02 6262 1147 or download via the Internet: http://www.nla.gov.au/chg/ Applications close Friday 16 June, 2000. -- Coral Dow Information Specialist Social Policy Group Parliamentary Library CANBERRA 2600 Ph: 02 6277 2414 Fax: 02 6277 2407 email: coral.dow@aph.gov.au