Dear Nick and all,

I have just read Collections Trust's interim report concerning the
Digital Britain report.

It is to be highly commended, in my view.  The report conveys most of
the must crucial problems that cultural organisations have faced in
the 7-8 years of 'digitisation', of whatever form, of museum, library
and archive content.

While I have significant problems with the way in which the language
of cultural politics, for want of a better term, is so severely
entrenched in economics, these are more philosophical than practical.
If we are to be understanding our work as part of a 'Digital Economy'
then we need to be very clear about a) what economy means and b) what
is the quid pro quo?

However, I do admire the persistence in using the language that the
current government seems to understand to the exclusion of all else.
In other words, to make them listen, one has to speak in their own
tongue.

Nevertheless, I hope there remains a strong sentiment within the
sectors concerned that cultural heritage is important for a the
'well-being' ;-) of a civilised society for its own sake particularly
in relation to promoting cultural organisations as 'safe spaces'
within which to better understand social and political issues.

I have a few specific points of criticism and questions.

.Use of case-studies

I hope a fuller report might highlight more non-national projects, and
also be more open about the legacy of, for example, the content
creation side of People's Network and what is being done to remedy
this.  So much fantastic information was digitised which still remains
online but difficult to access in any meaningful way.  However, I do
know that in their localities especially, these resources are being
used in the kind of digital skills training that is referred to in the
report.  It was certainly something I started up immediately after the
launch of the Hantsphere project (http://www.hantsphere.org.uk/),
itself part of, an albeit loose, alliance of projects across South
East England (http://www.sopse.org.uk/).  There are so many other
examples.

.Digital rights, income, access

This, for me, was the most important part of the report.  The plea for
a more balanced approach is essential, indeed it is fundamental to
creating the kind of digital content that is meaningful and has high
impact, as has been debated in fine detail over the past couple of
weeks, particularly in the light of then creating APIs and using other
methods of exposing content to WWW more efficiently.

I would like to see overt and practical support for small to large
organisations to adopt micro-donations as a way of providing an
income.

I think this will not only provide more income than many current IP
and reporoduction protocols (which themselves need review as pointed
out) but will also improve and strengthen the relationship between
'users' and organisations.

I would like to see the relationship develop more as that between
supporter/donor and custodian, rather than just producer and consumer.
 I would hope this attitude may also be complementary to increased
public access to images, ebooks or whatever.

.More practical grass-roots support for smaller organisations

When I started out my museum career in documentation at a tiny mill
site which was battling a no longer viable commercial future, for one
as a heritage site, the single most important factor in determining
success was being able to call upon, the then Museum Documentation
Association (latter day mda, now CT) for help.  Yes I had the basics
of using spectrum and the collections management systems available but
without a trainer coming to our site and helping me set up other
'systems' such as accessioning, etc, that place would have had no
chance at all of achieving its then, aim to become a registered museum
and enjoy the attendant benefits.

Similarly, I was able to call upon the then Museums and Galleries
Council (? can't even remember if that is what they were called) guide
to industrial and large object collections to form the basis for a
collecting and curating policy.

Where has this grass-roots support gone?  Are hubs providing this now?
 Is MLA providing it in any meaningful way?  How is CT supporting
organisations in terms they can understand and on an in-person basis?
And other national-level standards organisations, what are you doing?
Who knows you exist?  Is it enough just to provide support through web
pages?

Particularly with regard to the legacy problems of early digitisation
projects, where organisations did not sustain staff or other resources
to maintain a resource, this kind of support for the 'core staff' who
are left holding the baby is really very important.

If standards and a good /brand/ are so important then surely the best
way to achieve these are to provide the requisite support at a
national level rather than just pouring all resources into
strategising, consultation that are long and ornery and frequently
miss the boat (I over-simplify but the point remains).

Once again, I would like to reiterate my own support for this
response, for what it might be worth, particularly taking the long
view.

Wishing us all the best,
Tehmina


2009/3/11 Nick Poole <[log in to unmask]>:
> Dear MCG'ers,
>
> With many thanks to all of you that sent in examples of the things you are currently working on (and apologies that there wasn't space to get them all in!), we have now submitted the Collections Trust's response to the interim Digital Britain report.
>
> To read our submission, go to http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/consult. To comment on it, please comment on the related post about Digital Britain at http://openculture.collectionstrustblogs.org.uk
>
> We will, as promised, digest the many exemplar projects we were sent by MCG list members and I will circulate a URL for this information soon.
>
> Yours sincerely,
>
> Nick Poole
> Chief Executive
> Collections Trust
>
> Registered offices: 22 Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 1JP
>
> Registered Charity no. 273984
>
> Telephone (switchboard): 01223 316 028
>
> www.collectionstrust.org.uk
> www.collectionslink.org.uk
> www.culturalpropertyadvice.gov.uk
> www.discs-uk.info
>
>
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-- 
Tehmina Goskar, MA AMA
[log in to unmask]

Historical and Museum Research
Web Communication and Learning Development

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