Hello folks,

MLA are planning an e-conference on this initiative to be held on the
8th and 9th December. This isn't going to be on this list - it will be
hosted by MLA, and you need to register interest in advance with Yvette
Burrows, Designation Adviser, [log in to unmask] or Stephanie
Batchelor, Designation Officer, [log in to unmask]

Announcement from MLA follows...

Edmund Lee
English Heritage

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Meeting the challenges of networking knowledge services

Background  
In June 2004, MLA held a seminar to discuss integration of Hub,
Designated Collection, and other ICT projects.  It was organised in the
context of the announcement of Designation Challenge Fund projects for
2004-06, and implementation of the recent Hub Two Year Plans (2004-06),
through which 69 projects, aimed at better managing and accessing museum
collections, knowledge and ideas were awarded Renaissance funding. The
seminar sought to lay foundations for a common approach; supporting
local and regional initiatives within a framework that optimises value
for money and impact.  Information about the development of the Net Gain
project, including the shared vision, can be viewed at
http://www.mla.gov.uk/action/online/netgain.asp.

MLA would now like to invite interested representatives working in
National Museums to join in the discussions and maximise opportunities
for collaboration.  We would be grateful therefore, if you could forward
this message to anyone involved in the development of digital content
and resources.  Anyone interested in participating in the discussions
should e-mail us so that we can include them on our circulation list.  

e Conference 

The next step to this project is an online conference on 8th and 9th
December 2004.  We will be using a wiki for this purpose (for those of
you who are unfamiliar with this concept, a wiki is a piece of server
software that allows users to freely create and edit Web page content
using any Web browser and hold discussions associated with the content).


The first discussion paper will be introduced by Kate Fernie, ICT
Adviser: EU projects at MLA and will focus on interoperability and in
particular the MICHAEL project.  A summary of the paper is included
below.  

If this first conference is successful, another discussion topic will be
introduced in the New Year.  

Further details about how to participate in the discussions using the
Wiki will be circulated before the conference begins.  In the meantime,
please reserve some time over the 8th and 9th December 2004 in your
diaries to participate in the discussions.



NET GAIN
Online Conference 1 - Summary of discussion paper

MICHAEL: Multilingual Inventory of Cultural Heritage in Europe

The MICHAEL project is a good example of the Net Gains that are possible
when organisations work together. With funding from the European
Commission's eTEN programme, MICHAEL is building on national initiatives
in France, Italy and the UK to create European services for the digital
cultural heritage.  Through MICHAEL, MLA will be establishing a national
collection-level inventory of the UK's digital cultural heritage that
can be made available online through regional, national and
international services.  This paper looks at the issues that will be
addressed by MICHAEL, the activities involved and partnerships in Europe
and in the UK - with the English regional agencies, the administrations
in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the national cultural
institutions. It will look at inter-operability between MICHAEL and
other UK initiatives considering common standards and a shared vision of
promoting access to the wealth of digital content in museums, libraries
and archives.

To bring this vision about, the sector needs to embrace the Net Gain to
be had from working together through these initiatives."

Discussion will examine what interoperation/networked services mean to
you and will give participants an opportunity to consider what this
means for your organisation, users, digital content etc.  Importantly it
will also enable us to take a look at the non-technical barriers to
achieving a fully interoperable information environment in the cultural
sector and how these can be overcome.

For further information or to be included on the circulation list please
email us at MLA:

Yvette Burrows, Designation Adviser, [log in to unmask]
Stephanie Batchelor, Designation Officer, [log in to unmask]
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