Gosh, what a big question,
It really does just depend on what you want the Image Management System
(IMS) do for you.
There must be almost as many 'right choices' as there are image
collections using them. IMS can run from basic utility 'folder
viewers' through simple (flat-table) image-centric databases to full
data-centric relational databases.
Depending on the context or project I might easily recommend any of
these possible solutions. It just depends on the size of your project
and what you want to do with the images within the collection.
I would imagine that you would be looking at a largish system and need
a product than can provide a versatile approach to dealing with those
images. My position here at TASI means that I am unable to actually
suggest any software provider, however I worked on the project that
Simon Grant mentioned at Tate....and I was certainly very happy with
the product and the company ;-) They are just about to ship a new
version too, which looks like it will be even better.
In the wider context:
I recently gave a talk at the Cambridge Medical Photography School
entitled "Choosing an IMS" which looked into the research that you
need to do before you are in a position to make this decision.
It certainly isn't one that you want to get wrong!
If you are interested you will find the basic presentation at:
http://www.tasi.ac.uk/cam/
I am not sure how much you will get from the headings but it does have
all the hyperlinks to take you to a selection of the IMS providers.
There will also be a selection of supporting notes going up on our site
shortly:
"Choosing an IMS" and "A comparison of usefulness of IMS types"
If anyone would like a copy of these forwarded to them, please do not
hesitate to email and I will get them off posthaste.
cheers
eib
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ed I Bremner, TASI Senior Technical Research Officer
TASI - Technical Advisory Service for Images
Free help, advice and guidance for the
Further and Higher Education sector
http://www.tasi.ac.uk/
A JISC Service
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On Tue, 6 Mar 2001 16:04:03 -0000 Michael Cooper
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Anybody have any recommendations for image management hardware and
> software?
> We desperately need to organise and manage digital images of our
> collection
> and other items and I'm wondering what would be the best way to achieve
> this. A dedicated server appeals to me, with some sort of database of
> images
> and associated metadata. Preferably something with the capability to
> automatically add a directory full of images to the database, plus any
> other
> bells and whistles. A nice friendly front-end is essential so that all
> interested staff can browse the image base and obtain / link to the
> required
> images from it. All thoughts welcome!
>
> Mick
>
> Michael P. Cooper
> Registrar, Nottingham Museums & Galleries
> Direct Line: 0115 915 3671
> Fax: 0115 915 3601
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ed I Bremner, TASI Senior Technical Research Officer
TASI - Technical Advisory Service for Images
Free help, advice and guidance for the
Further and Higher Education sector
http://www.tasi.ac.uk/
A JISC Service
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|