Hi Tehmina,
Any and all perspectives on this welcomed, I'd say. The meeting of the Resource Discovery Task Force was incredibly positive, with a strong interest in making more active use of museum, library and archive material but also some frank discussions - among which were the fact that 'resource discovery' is not a particularly user-friendly expression and that our datasets - while undoubtedly vastly improved over a few years ago - are not 100% complete in all respects.
There was considerable interest in initiatives such as Culture Grid and Europeana, and some very useful discussions about the potential to move on from one-way interoperability to two-way push/pull processes which enable user-generated or user-enriched material to be pushed back through the pipeline to add value to Collections Management systems (which Jeremy identified as a key potential outcome of the relationship with HE/FE).
There will be funding, through JISC and MIMAS, both for further exploratory work to extend the Culture Grid into HE/FE provision and for a number of pilot activities in museums to explore the potential of more open collaboration with academics and researchers. Once the notes of the meeting are out, I'll load them up to Collections Link, but in the meantime, the comments so far are really welcome and I would welcome further discussion on this.
With thanks,
Nick
Nick Poole
Chief Executive
Collections Trust
[log in to unmask]
Tel: 0207 022 1889
OpenCulture 2011
The Greatest Collections Management Show on Earth!
The Custard Factory, Birmingham, 7th & 8th June 2011
Register online at www.openculture2011.org.uk
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-----Original Message-----
From: Museums Computer Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tehmina Goskar
Sent: 18 February 2011 16:39
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Museum, library and archive content and Resource Discovery
Dear Nick,
I would love to respond to this but from the point of view of being an
HE user (but who also knows a bit about the museum / heritage
collection provision side of things). My current and some of my
previous projects that have been conducted from an HE institution (or
with one) have brought to light several issues regarding many of the
issues raised.
However, before pre-empting, I would like to know whether you would
just like my thoughts on the document in the view of the questions you
are asking museum providers, or, whether you will be conducting a
similar exercise in the HE community who has sought to or used museum
content in some way or another.
All the best,
Tehmina
On 18 February 2011 16:02, Angela Murphy <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Hi Nick
>
> For what it's worth, i would like to make some broad comments in response to
> your questions. First, a comment on the integrated text, design and layout
> of the document which is refreshingly clear and to the point. As a statement
> of intent I think it is generally admirable.
>
> My experience is in assessing image collections and systems in a variety of
> institutions - and trying to integrate content into broader distribution
> outlets, both commercial and cultural.
> I do therefore have a clear view of the many contradictions in the provision
> of museum services that have emerged over the last 10 years. Many
> interlinking systems and accompanying workflows have been put in place that
> will be difficult to disentangle - and we are all notoriously allergic to
> change. However, if the many laudable aims of your document are to succeed,
> this must happen.
>
> Most of all it is important for staff managing these resources to understand
> the way in which image and metadata move through their systems - and the
> actions that are in place (often hidden in coded scripting). Moving forward
> will involve many compromises, but these must be made if museums want to
> improve the ways in which they expose their resources to all their potential
> users.
>
> From that viewpoint, my more detailed comments are as follows:
>
>
>> 1. Is the provision of content (metadata, data and images) in a
>> proactive way to the HE/FE sector a current priority for your museum?
>
>
> Many of the museums that I have worked with are, in principle, very positive
> about this but, inevitably, affordability is at the heart of their concerns.
> In particular, as this has not been seen as a priority, the mechanisms for
> delivery are often not in place. If museums are to recognise this aim as a
> priority, they will also have to be convinced that they will be assisted to
> enable this - both financially and by advice. I can envisage many
> opportunities for different kinds of collaboration that would be welcomed on
> both sides. There are many ways in which the HE/FE sector might be
> encouraged to enhance metadata in exchange for the use of resources.
>
> In addition, larger museums and galleries often have commercial picture
> libraries that have mechanisms already in place that could enable this
> cheaply and cost-efficiently. [NB The need for brevity means that I have
> just cut my more detailed comments on how these services might be
> incorporated. More later...]
>
>
>>
>> 2. How willing is your institution to make the body of your
>> collections-based information available for aggregation so that it can
>> be shared (for free) with researchers and learners?
>
> Institutions often mistake such initiatives as requiring the exposure of all
> museum data. It is important to make it clear that this would not be
> required. Bulk exports do not necessitate the export of every field in your
> database. Third party rights do not have to be compromised.
>
> In addition, there is an on-going belief that making content available in
> this way would reduce income and have too many rights implications. I
> believe that these assumptions have not been sufficiently challenged - or
> even examined in an informed way. There seems to have grown up in our
> museums and galleries a belief that they should erect high walls around
> their content in order to protect their interests. ( I myself have
> participated in such actions). These assumptions should now be challenged in
> a much more proactive way in view of new emerging practices and
> marketplaces.
>
> I can give chapter and verse on this, but brevity dictates .......
>
>
>>
>> 3. What would prevent you from making Collections data available
>> to the HE/FE sector in this way?
>
> Clearly, policy is the main sticking point here. However, if a suitable
> policy is in place, then the main obstacles will inevitably be in the
> existing workflows and the software and scripting that supports these. This
> is a complex area, so I will write separately on these issues. However, I
> would say that if the policy is in place, there are many low-cost software
> solutions that could enable museums etc to make their images and metadata
> more suitable for general distribution. Unfortunately, funders in the past
> have not been prescriptive enough on the service that they wanted their
> institutions to provide. This is now a necessity - as is the necessity to
> provide on-going feedback on the quality of these services - and, above all,
> the user experience.
>
> If you want to enable this, it is also vital, that proper granular
> comparative research is done on the systems that currently exist - both
> technical and workflow - on the quality of the resources that are available
> - and on the quality of images and metadata that have been produced,
> including rights information. Only then will you know the scale of the
> problem and the priorities for addressing these. I'm not suggesting here a
> full-blown 2-year research project, but a good-enough survey that assumes
> that participants should be guided through these intricacies. Broad brush
> surveys in this area are notoriously unsuccessful as this is not done.
>
>>
>> 4. What is the most valuable thing we could do to increase the
>> value for museums of making content available to the HE/FE community?
>
>
> Undoubtedly, the most valuable thing that is now required is to improve the
> quality of the metadata currently available - resources must be made more
> 'discoverable'. If the move to make content available to the HE/FE community
> can upgrade this content and its findability - and access - then it will
> produce a win-win situation as internal museum staff and their external
> clients will also benefit.
>
> A collaborative approach harnessing Semantic Web ideas seems to be the most
> positive way to go.
>
> Finally, surely we should have in place some sort of awards system that
> recognises those institutions that have created high quality discoverable
> resources and singles them out for praise. this is not covered by more
> general plaudits about 'websites' generally.
>
> Apologies for the length of my response. However, this is an area that is
> close to my heart.
>
> many thanks
>
>
> Angela Murphy
> Consultant
> Image Management and Rights Clearance
>
> The Image Business
> 21 Leamington Road Villas
> Notting Hill
> London W11 1HS
> Tel: +44-(0)20-77274920
> Mob: +44-(0)7973-820020
>
> email: [log in to unmask]
>
>
>>
>>
>> I sit on the Advisory Board for something called the 'Resource Discovery
>> Task Force <http://rdtf.jiscinvolve.org/wp/> ' - a cross-industry body
>> that has been asked to look at ways of integrating content from museums,
>> archives and libraries into academic Resource Discovery to support
>> research in the HE/FE sector.
>>
>>
>>
>> I have posted onto Collections Link the JISC Vision document
>> <http://www.collectionslink.org.uk/index.cfm?ct=assets.assetDisplay/titl
>> e/JISC%20Vision%20of%20Resource%20Discovery%20Infrastructure/assetId/669
>>>
>>> , which sets out how museum content can be aggregated into the HE/FE
>>
>> environment and delivered to researchers via the new generation of
>> discovery services. With support from the JISC, the Collections Trust
>> will be working with the RDTF to integrate the Culture Grid
>> <http://www.culturegrid.org.uk/> and Europeana
>> <http://www.europeana.eu/> into this resource discovery infrastructure.
>>
>>
>>
>> While many eyes are on the Arts Council in their new role for museum
>> policy, it is important to remember that JISC and HE remain an important
>> partner for museums in the digital agenda. To inform my participation in
>> this group, I would really welcome thoughts from the list on the
>> following questions:
>>
>>
>>
>> 1. Is the provision of content (metadata, data and images) in a
>> proactive way to the HE/FE sector a current priority for your museum?
>>
>>
>>
>> 2. How willing is your institution to make the body of your
>> collections-based information available for aggregation so that it can
>> be shared (for free) with researchers and learners?
>>
>>
>>
>> 3. What would prevent you from making Collections data available
>> to the HE/FE sector in this way?
>>
>>
>>
>> 4. What is the most valuable thing we could do to increase the
>> value for museums of making content available to the HE/FE community?
>>
>>
>>
>> Please do also comment on the JISC document, either here on the list or
>> via Collections Link or on Twitter (tag #rdtf)
>>
>>
>>
>> Many thanks in advance for your thoughts.
>>
>>
>>
>> Nick
>>
>>
>>
>> Nick Poole
>>
>> Chief Executive
>>
>> Collections Trust
>>
>> [log in to unmask]
>>
>>
>>
>> Tel: 0207 022 1889
>>
>>
>>
>> OpenCulture 2011
>> The Greatest Collections Management Show on Earth!
>> The Custard Factory, Birmingham, 7th & 8th June 2011
>> Register online at www.openculture2011.org.uk
>> <http://www.openculture2011.org.uk>
>>
>>
>>
>> <http://www.openculture2011.org.uk/>
>>
>>
>>
>> http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk
>>
>> http://www.collectionslink.org.uk
>>
>> http://openculture.collectionstrustblogs.org.uk
>>
>>
>>
>> Follow us on Twitter: @collectiontrust
>> <http://www.twitter.com/collectiontrust>
>>
>> Follow me on Twitter: @nickpoole1
>>
>> Contact me on Skype: nickpoole3
>>
>> Connect via LinkedIn:
>> http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=5289899&locale=en_US&trk=tab_pro
>>
>>
>>
>> Company Registration No: 1300565
>>
>> Registered Charity No: 273984
>>
>> Registered Office: Collections Trust c/o CAN Mezzanine, Downstream
>> Building, No1 London Bridge, London SE1 9BG
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ****************************************************************
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>
>
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>
--
Dr Tehmina Goskar, MA AMA
[log in to unmask]
http://tehmina.goskar.com/
Research Officer: ESRC Global and Local Worlds of Welsh Copper
History & Classics
Prifysgol Abertawe / Swansea University
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