THE ROLE OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MUSEOLOGY AND COLLECTIONS PROTECTION (NIMOZ) IN THE PROGRESS OF DIGITISATION IN MUSEUMS

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THE ROLE OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MUSEOLOGY AND COLLECTIONS PROTECTION (NIMOZ) IN THE PROGRESS OF DIGITISATION IN MUSEUMS

Journal Title: Muzealnictwo - Year 2013, Vol 54, Issue

Abstract

In an era of the development of new information technologies, one of the fundamental museum tasks – the dissemination of information about collections and facilitating access to them - calls for verification and a changed approach. Recent worldwide examples of a totally new availability policy involve offering free-of-charge high definition digital images of works from collections while permitting their use for commercial purposes. At the base of this policy lies the conviction that collections, which are public property should become universally accessible and that it is more beneficial for a museum when images of items from its collections on the Internet are authorized and high-quality. Gradually, an increasing number of institutions administering public resources regard it as their ethical duty to realize the Open GLAM idea of opening and free-of-charge access to collections in galleries, libraries, archives and museums. These questions were one of the prime topics of the annual Open Culture 2013 conference organized by the Collections Trust. At a time of digital communication it be-came obvious that there is no alternative to a wide opening of access to museum resources through the intermediary of modern media. In order to render this solution possible it was, however, indispensable to implement and advance difficult and long-lasting collection digitisation, which calls for financial input and great organisational skill. This is why while appreciating its significance in Poland, state and self-government administration undertook numerous initiatives such as theLong-Term Government Programme Cul-ture+, treating digitisation as one of two priorities aimed at ensuring society the widest possible access to cultural heritage and scientific accomplishments. In order to support this initiative, at the beginning of 2013 NIMOZ became, upon the basis of a decision made by the Council of Ministers a Competence Centre for digitisation in museums (CK). This position enables a wider-scale realisation of tasks associated with the coordination of digitisation processes in museums, in particular as regards the propagation of technological achievements, training, and promotion as well as the acquisition, storage and availability of museum digital resources. CK renders available the theory and practice of the digitisation of museum collections through the intermediary of special studies and platforms, such as the Inter-net forum: “Digitalizacja w Muzeach” (Digitisation in Museums) (http://www.digitalizacja-forum.nimoz.pl/) or the NIMOZ website. The technical and organisational guidelines prepared by CK take into account ethical standards accepted by numerous centers all over the world, i.a. the recommendations of the London Charter. Infrastructural work involves the creation of a foundation for the developing training offer as well as conceptual work on a central repository and national web portal of museum resources

Authors and Affiliations

Anna Kuśmidrowicz-Król

Keywords

EP ID EP62593
DOI -
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