About AMOL

AMOL's history and structure

Vision Statement    Guiding principles  AMOL's development    How does AMOL work?    AMOL coordination unit

AMOL is the national online portal to Australia's cultural heritage held in our museums and galleries. By providing access to this heritage through a single website entry point, AMOL preserves and promotes Australia's cultural identity within Australia and in the international arena.

What are AMOL's guiding principles?

The following principles have guided the development of the AMOL website and have contributed to its success:

Collaboration:  The AMOL project is a collaboration between the cultural sector and Australian, State and Territory governments, in terms of both funding and the overall development and management of the website.  AMOL actively seeks partnerships and strategic alliances with related sectors such as the Australian library, archives and education sectors, and with international organisations which are leading the development of standards for the documentation of heritage information.

Comprehensiveness:  AMOL is widely encompassing and inclusive, incorporating information about a large percentage of Australian museums, along with heritage information held within related organisations. 

Convergence:  This diverse and distributed information from across the sector is accessible through a single website entry point. 

Regional and national focus:  AMOL has a particular focus on local, regional and specialist museums and provides support (and some funds) to enable these museums to become involved in the website.  It also encourages the continued participation of Australia’s major museums.  

AMOL provides a nation wide means of access to information about Australia’s cultural heritage on a primarily free-of-charge basis and, where appropriate, through commercial activities.  

How did AMOL develop and who has been involved in its development?

In 1993, the Cultural Ministers Council established the Heritage Collections Committee to develop and implement a range of programs addressing issues of collection management, access, conservation and preservation, documentation research and access. One of the achievements of the Heritage Collections Committee was the establishment of the National Database Program. While this program was initially conceived as an on line database of objects, the development of the Internet presented an ideal opportunity for a more comprehensive information system. Thus, the Australian Museums On-Line (AMOL) Internet site was developed.

In December 1996, Cultural Ministers Council established the Heritage Collections Council (HCC) to replace and build on the work of the Committee. The HCC's On Line Working Party guided the ongoing development and expansion of the AMOL site. 

The National Museum of Australia which was originally contracted to host and develop the AMOL website, was instrumental in increasing the functionality of the website and in expanding the number of museums and galleries which can be accessed through the website.

On 15 January 1998, the Powerhouse Museum took on the role of hosting AMOL. Until recently, the Powerhouse Museum's AMOL Coordination Unit worked closely with the On Line Working Party to ensure that AMOL continued to provide an effective portal to Australia's collecting institutions, and to the collections they hold. Since 1998, the website has expanded considerably to include a National Exhibition Venues Database and a Touring Exhibitions Database, a learning gateway to museums and galleries called Discovernet, a stories section and many online resources for people working in the cultural sector.

On 2 Febraury 2004, the Cultural Ministers' Council annouced they have agreed to redevelop AMOL during 2004. The redeveloped AMOL website will better cater for the Australian collections sector by providing a sustainable basis for enabling small to medium sized collecting institutions to expand into the online environment in a modest yet effective manner, and facilitate collaboration between archives, galleries, libraries and museums.

How does AMOL work?

The AMOL website comprises four main sections:

Working with Collections
AMOL is a dynamic source of information for professionals and volunteers working in the collections sector. Working with Collections offers email discussion lists, an events calendar, tools such as conservation and disaster-preparedness guides, a ResourceFinder, a peer-reviewed online journal, training resources and more.

A National Guide to Australian Collecting Institutions
AMOL's National Guide to Australian Collecting Institutions is the most comprehensive and up-to-date source of information about the nation's cultural institutions. Free Guide entries can be added or altered at any time. For further information, see the section on Joining AMOL or contact the AMOL Coordination Unit.

Open Collections
AMOL offers a searchable collection database comprising thousands of objects from collecting institutions across Australia. The Database is an invaluable research tool for people working in the collections sector. Knowledge stories provide an entry point to Open Collections for schools and the general public by highlighting Australian people, events and places through cultural heritage collections.

Discovernet
Discovernet is a learning gateway to museum and galleries, comprising a database of museums' education resources, an interactive game to introduce children to the curatorial process, online stories from museum collections and a guide to museums. Discovernet is promoted to schools through the Education Network of Australia (EdNA) and state-based Education Departments.