Libraries, museums and archives – so-called memory institutions – are undergoing intense technological transformations in the way they catalog, preserve and publish cultural heritage information. The timeline, scope, and outcome of this technological advancement seem to be very different in these fields, due to the different mission and structure of these institutions.
However, some of the underlying tools, specific goals, methodologies and data models seem to be shared among most of the cultural institutions who are invested in technological advancement.
In this informal, open discussion and Q/A among the panelists and with the audience, the participants will engage in an exchange of use cases in their own specific fields, trying to find a common ground where cultural heritage institutions can collaborate to establish standards that are valid for all cultural expressions.
Physical and online spaceQ: Which role does the physical space of libraries, archives and museums play in a social context, in contrast with their online presence? (see related article)
Q: How does the online LAM experience relate with the on-site experience and how are they both evolving? How can on-site technology aid or hinder a visit?
Mission: scholarly vs. broad audienceQ: How can LAMs fulfill their role of information providers by offering the highest quality information possible as well as reaching out to the broadest audience possible?
Materials collectedQ: Museums have publications, and sometimes libraries within them, as well as archives; libraries have special collections made up of unique or limited-edition objects. Are the two institutions closer than we think in terms of what they collect and how they catalog it?
Data harmonization effortsQ: Efforts to harmonize concepts between libraries and museums, i.e. map terms that are common to both, are underway (e.g. FRBRoo). Also, portals such as Europeana and DPLA are aggregating resources from libraries and museums alike, providing generic repositories ofcultural heritage. Who is implementing this at an institutional level?
Q: How can physical cultural heritage items be cataloged and published along with conceptual (immaterial, born-digital) ones? Are today's tools adequate for the task or are they still relying on a pre-1970s concept of culture?
User experienceQ: How important is visualization for LAMs, especially in regard to Linked Data and complex data sets? Which online and on-site efforts are most notable? What can we learn from non-cultural sectors?
Q: Image delivery is probably one of the main points of contact between LAMs. The interest around IIIF and related tools confirms this. Could this be one common ground for all CH institutions?
