REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

Conference 11/12 June 2009

Hybrid Architectural Archives: Creating, Managing and Using Digital
Archives Netherlands Architecture Institute, Rotterdam

In a two day conference in June 2009, the NAi aims to map the
development of research and experiences in creating, consuming and using
digital architectural archives. The conference is now open for
registration.

For architectural archives, digital files are not just a new kind of
datacarrier as was the case with microfilm. Digital materials require
much more attention to be handled, described and stored in a consistent,
safe and persistent way than paper or film. The awareness that our
digital heritage is much more fragile than paper archives slowly starts
to pervade the cultural heritage community. While some institutions are
already testing e-repository test beds, most organisations are still
searching for technical solutions for the new hybrid environment in
which paper archives are accompanied by digital files. 

Research and experiences
The conference will be a continuation of the Gau:di conference held in
Paris from 8 to 10 November 2007 "Architecture and Digital Archives.
Architecture in the Digital Age: a question of memory". The conference
is meant for architects, architectural museum staff, staff from cultural
heritage institutions, architectural historians and researchers. The
main purpose of the meeting is to map the development of research and
experiences in creating, consuming and using digital architectural
archives. The conference focuses on bringing together experts in the
fields of architecture (the creators), architectural archives and
museums (the keepers: preservation and access) and researchers (users). 

Hybrid environment
The specific problems with permanent storage, access and retrieval of
digital architectural archives are gradually revealing themselves. What
are the consequences for organizations in a hybrid environment and what
choices do we have to face? 
With regard to digitising paper archives: should we digitise complete
archives or parts of it retrospectively and describe them in the same
way as our paper archives? How can we create a useful multi language
thesaurus and vocabulary necessary to find the requested information?
How should we present digital information and what will be the surplus
value for users compared to the original paper drawings. How can users
and providers make the most of this new digital content?

With regard to born digital archival material: how do we address the
problem of authenticity when the digital original is the same as the
copy on the web? What are the specific inherent qualities of digital
designs? How do we preserve the functionalities of an architectural
design produced by interactive software once the material is in a
repository? 

Conference themes
The questions above have been translated into the following themes:

Acquiring and processing digital archives in repositories Producing
digital archives in architectural practices Architectural archives on
the web
Users: expectations and use
Multilingual architecture thesauri and vocabularies

For more information and registration, please visit the conference
website. http://conference.nai.nl
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