Hi Linda
Yes, absolutely - and being able to see the images at that size is definitely a huge positive, and I couldn't agree more that these are beautifully presented to users of the site.
The question (not just for you but for anyone in the position of having electronic assets like this) is what is meant by the word "use" - does this also cover off-site use - electronic whiteboard, within a presentation, embedded on web pages etc.? If this is the case, allowing and encouraging downloads of large images is really a requirement. Otherwise, the assumption is that these resources will be in-place when they are accessed. Not a bad thing, necessarily, just a different meaning of "free".
As it happens (and this is less a plug than a "If you happen to be there, pop in") I'm talking at the JISC content conference this week about freeing of data via machine-readable means on Wednesday - http://bit.ly/xxnMD. Actually, that was clearly a plug. Either way, be good to speak to people about these issues :-)
Cheers
Mike
Mike Ellis
Professional Services Group
Eduserv
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-----Original Message-----
From: Museums Computer Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Linda Spurdle
Sent: 29 June 2009 10:47
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Launch of Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery's Pre-Rapahelite website
Hi Mike
Re: ' I suspect the (slightly depressing) reason that Silverlight is attractive to
Museums is that it *prevents* download of big images'
This isn't why we chose to use Silverlight, but there is of course some truth in
the fact that we feel we have to protect our large images - income generation
is becoming increasingly important and the Pre-Raphaelite images do make
money for Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery.
However, for me this project has been about making the images accessible.
We signed a JISC licence agreement (which some other projects funded by
JISC Digitisation were unable to do), the resource is free to use (again not
true of all projects). The images can be used by schools, higher education and
further education students and employees for uses connected with education -
I hope they will be used in teaching, course work, etc. Of course they will be
used in many other ways to, because as you know once on the web...
I feel like the website has freed the images in the Pre-Raphaelite collection up,
not locked them down.
Linda
Linda Spurdle
Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery
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