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26 October 2011The Pacific and Regional Archive for Digital Sources in Endangered Cultures offers a facility for digital conservation and access to endangered materials from all over the world. Our research group has developed models to ensure that the archive can provide access to interested communities and conforms to emerging international standards for digital archiving. A primary motivation for this project is making field recordings available to those recorded and their descendants. While initially conceived of as an archiving project focusing on the Asia-Pacific region, PARADISEC has developed into a centre for activities including:

• Training in data management (lexicographic software and transcription and interlinearising of texts), recording techniques and data linkage

• Provision of a catalogue in which users can create descriptions of their collections

• Standardized Metadata - creating the descriptions in forms that conform to relevant standards and are harvested by the Open Archives Initiative search engines, enabling access for a wider community

• Building models that show how to make reusable data (e.g. FieldHelper tool in development) and using current tools such as Elan and Toolbox

• Building models that show how to reuse data (e.g. EOPAS, online dictionaries, ITunes repositories)

• Cultural preservation – backup and data provision for cultural agencies in the region (e.g. Institute for PNG Studies, Vanuatu Cultural Centre)

• Global Focus – meeting the demand to house files with a research focus from all over the world (including USA, Chile, Mexico)