The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Protocols for Libraries, Archives & Information Services (Protocols) was published in 1995 in conjunction with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Library and Information Resources Network (ATSILIRN).

The Protocols address issues and concerns related to Indigenous materials held in libraries, archives and other information services, as well as those related to the provision of services
for Indigenous people. The Protocols serve as a guide to assist library, archive and information service providers when handling Indigenous materials and interacting with Indigenous peoples.

In 2004 a project was undertaken to determine whether the Protocols are a useful strategy for highlighting Indigenous information issues and promoting responses to them, to identify any emerging issues which may need to be included, and to collect professional comment on how they could be improved. The project was called ‘Mapping the impact of the 1995 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Protocols for Libraries, Archives and Information Services’ project.

A new website for the Protocols was launched at the ATSILIRN conference in November 2006, with many changes and additions. At the ATSILIRN conference in April 2008 the Protocols will be workshopped and further updated.

This paper will track the Protocols from their inception through their changes, up to the latest version and the footprints they have left for others to follow.