Hi James,
There is, of course, a converse view which asks why many organisations do not regard digitisation, infrastructure and digital preservation as 'core business'.
There is still a view for many that our primary function is to be real-world venues, and that the digital role is secondary. What many funders are trying to do is encourage managers to progress this view to the point where both digital and physical are regarded as joint core priorities of the organisation.
The problem is that this requires organisations to reduce their spend on real-world services on a permanent basis - making the transition to a blended online/offline sector depends on a sustained period of positive discrimination in favour of lass tangible online services. This is difficult for many people to do when it is precisely these real-world services which appeal to the Local Authority Councillors and others on whom the majority of their funds depend.
There is much learning to be done on both sides. I personally deal with many funders weary of Documentation support grants being disguised as innovative Digitisation programmes. I also meet many people who share the frustration of having to invent flashy projects when their back office needs a lick of paint and some new computers.
So what to do? Centralised funding fails to have lasting impact because it is too often tangential to the core of the organisation, and yet there is an inertia which seems to be preventing the core of the organisation from moving on. Many funders use 'match funding' as an indicator of the organisation's commitment to embedding the outcomes of the project, when the organisations tend to think of it as something they have to invent through creative accounting of existing funded staff time. In the middle, everyone frets about sustainability and long-term impact.
Is there a way for museums to make a commitment to long-term sustained digital services, and for funders to trust them to use their money to its best effect?
Nick
-----Original Message-----
From: Museums Computer Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of James Watson
Sent: 08 May 2009 15:25
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: 'Every Object Tells a Story'
Hi all.
Without wishing to be too discursive; although this: "This is a critical
and central problem of trying to engineer lasting development using
project funding" is true, if funders categorically will not fund digital
activities, including digitisation, that they deem to be 'core business'
for an institution, then we are far more likely to see funded projects
that are outside of core infrastructure and services.
These projects, I'm afraid, are far more likely to be unsupported a few
years later, than more 'core' business.
Cheers, happy Friday.
James
-----Original Message-----
From: Museums Computer Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Nick Poole
Sent: 08 May 2009 15:10
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: 'Every Object Tells a Story'
Hi Janet,
The answer is, I'm afraid that there are too many projects, and possibly
not enough critical judgement in the funding process. Most of these
projects have been funded on a largely exploratory basis, and too little
thought and investment has gone into the organisational and strategic
context in which they will sit.
The result, in my experience, is good work which lacks the surrounding
infrastructure to make the transition from project to service. These
developments are still regarded as incidental to the core mission of
most of their organisations, many of whom will only have got involved in
the project in the first place in the hope that it will release some
useful funds and generate some political credibility.
This is a critical and central problem of trying to engineer lasting
development using project funding. The funder's ambition is to deliver
work which contributes towards a central strategic objective. The
organisation's ambition is to secure money to do work which contributes
to their own objectives, based on their knowledge of their audiences and
collections. Whether the two sets of priorities coincide is a very hit
and miss affair and 'smart' funders like the JISC Digitisation
programme, which aim to provide investment to support organisations in
achieving both sets of outcomes, are relatively few and far between.
Could 'Every Object Tells a Story...' have evolved to be the basis of a
national collaborative online museum? Possibly. But for it to have done
so would have required a sustained strategic commitment and investment.
Making this ongoing commitment would have required 5 other projects
elsewhere to be turned down (all of which, incidentally, might also
deliver something amazing).
I very much hope that in the next few years we will move towards a
tiered funding structure which aims both to seed-fund innovative
exploratory work and to incubate the best products and services via
sustained investment.
All best,
Nick
-----Original Message-----
From: Museums Computer Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of J
DAVIS
Sent: 08 May 2009 14:55
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: 'Every Object Tells a Story'
The 'stories' varied a lot: remembrances triggered by objects, memories
of specific objects, stories inspired by objects...when I was invited to
contribute as part of the 1st phase, the brief was to tell a story that
made a personal connection with an object. It was about how people
connect with objects and 'own' them.
It is dispiriting and frustrating to those of us who work on such
projects to see them vanish within such a short time. It is such a waste
of our time, skills and effort as well as of public money. Why can't we
build upon such things? 'Every Object...' had the basis of a virtual
people's museum, bringing together a wonderful selection of things from
all over the country and alternative interpretations/associations that
really demonstrated different ways of looking at and appreciating our
cultural inheritance.
Janet E Davis
...
> The British Library's Web Archive project seems to have
> archived two
> snapshots of the site here:
> http://www.webarchive.org.uk/ukwa/target/129046.
>
>
> It seems to work pretty well, though of course the social
> features don't
> work any more.
>
> This is my favourite bit of contributed content so far:
>
http://www.webarchive.org.uk/wayback/archive/20060702233331/http://www.e
veryobject.net/storya8cf.html
>
>
> I've not done a comprehensive study of this archived
> snapshot (which is
> dated to 2nd July 2006), but it appears from a quick review
> that a lot of
> the stories contributed are of a fictional/creative writing
> bent, rather
> than a more factual 'remembrance' style. I wonder
> if that was intended, or
> an unexpected consequence of using the word 'story'
> in the site's name.
>
> This is a lovely story by a V&A curator of their first
> acquisition (in
> 1984):
>
http://www.webarchive.org.uk/wayback/archive/20060702233331/http://www.e
veryobject.net/storye20e.html
>
> Frankie
>
> --
> Frankie Roberto
> Experience Designer, Rattle
> 0114 2706977
> http://www.rattlecentral.com
>
> Sent from Sheffield, United Kingdom
>
> **************************************************
> For mcg information and to manage your subscription to the
> list, visit the website at
> http://www.museumscomputergroup.org.uk
> **************************************************
**************************************************
For mcg information and to manage your subscription to the list,
visit the website at http://www.museumscomputergroup.org.uk
**************************************************
This message has been scanned for malware by WebSense Mailcontrol for the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
****************************************************************
For mcg information and to manage your subscription to the list,
visit the website at http://www.museumscomputergroup.org.uk
****************************************************************
****************************************************************
For mcg information and to manage your subscription to the list,
visit the website at http://www.museumscomputergroup.org.uk
****************************************************************
|
