Tinkering with the Temple of Fame or systematically reimagining the Australian Dictionary of Biography?

Abstract

All readers of Circa will have used the Australian Dictionary of Biography (ADB), and some will have written entries. This paper sets out the technological and cultural changes which have led to the development and expansion of the ADB, which is now one part of a digital information suite.

Where once revisions were envisaged of a 'tinkering' or corrigenda kind, now it is all too clear that the ADB needs revising systematically. The ADB's revision plans rely on its national collaboration, its volunteer and unpaid working party members and authors. This article reminds professional historians that the ADB will be only too pleased to hear from them if they come across candidates for inclusion in the dictionary. Indeed, it may well be able to commission proposers to write the entries. Show more