Dr Mike Pringle

Director, AHDS Visual Arts

The National Digital Image Initiative

• Promoting good practice in the creation of visual arts digital resources for informed use in research and research-led teaching

AHDS Visual Arts

• Promoting good practice in the creation of visual arts digital resources for informed use in research and research-led teaching

• Providing rich, deep access to visual arts digital resources created by or for HE

AHDS Visual Arts

• Promoting good practice in the creation of visual arts digital resources for informed use in research and research-led teaching

• Providing rich, deep access to visual arts digital resources created by or for HE

• Preserving visual arts digital resources to ensure their long term survival and use

AHDS Visual Arts

“The Digital Picture has been established to explore issues relating to the effects of the digital revolution on our use of images...”

the Digital Picture

“…It will identify problems and develop practical solutions; liaise with stakeholders and interested parties; and offer guidance to teaching, learning and research communities.”

the Digital Picture

• United approach to a National issue• All peer bodies; all arts institutes

the Digital Picture

• United approach to a National issue• All peer bodies; all arts institutes• Funded by the JISC • AHDS Visual Arts – independence

the Digital Picture

• United approach to a National issue• All peer bodies; all arts institutes• Funded by the JISC • AHDS Visual Arts – independence• High profile

the Digital Picture

• United approach to a National issue• All peer bodies; all arts institutes• Funded by the JISC • AHDS Visual Arts – independence• High profile• Foundation for understanding community

needs

the Digital Picture

• National consultation of the affected community and all associated parties plus literature/peer project review

• Creation of a consortium to represent the community via seminars and online conferencing

National Consultation

• Establishment of working parties to discuss the specific issues relating to external interests (e.g. ARTstor and Bridgeman Art Library)

• Documentation of subsequent analysis and resultant recommendations

National Consultation

• Cost• Image quality• Metadata Standards• Staff/financial resources• Copyright and IPR• Functionality• Loss of arts resources.• Physical environments• Cultural change

The Problems

• Financial strains• No money for digitization• ICT money ring-fenced elsewhere• Novelty factors• Images often seen as non essential

Cost

• Display output• Colour and contrast• Clarity and depth of detail• Scanning – unnecessary layer• Enthusiastic amateurs…

Image quality

• Collections become unsearchable• Images become unidentifiable• All become unusable• National/International standards• Inbuilt technological facilities• Institutional strategies

Metadata standards

• Insufficient time• Insufficient training• Need for commitment• Software and hardware - in ICT department

Resources

• Blurred rights• Conflict between promotion of digitization and

safeguard of rights• Legal challenges• DACS and CLA

Copyright and IPR

• PowerPoint• Dual projectors – compare and contrast• Training• Death by PowerPoint• ARTstor - proprietary

Functionality

• Not all slides will be digitized• Digital more stable than analogue?• Slides/analogue pictures proven track record• ZIP discs…

Loss of resources

• Projectors• Compatibility – PC versus MAC• Interactive classroom environments

Physical environments

• Cynicism• Doubts• Concern

Cultural change

• Cynicism• Doubts• Concern• Outright terror!

Cultural change

• Bespoke method – appliance of science• Plan, plan, plan• Transparent definition of problems• Structure and clarity• Best result – least effort

Method

• UK-wide questionnaire• Printed booklet and internet-based formats• Extensive awareness programme:

– CHEAD– ACADI– ADM Academy– ARLIS– etc.

Clarification

• UK-wide questionnaire• Printed booklet and internet-based formats• Extensive awareness programme• Coordination of questionnaire results• Interpretative analysis of qualitative data

Clarification

• Group/individual interviews• Seminars and conferences• Identifying stakeholders:

– visual arts institutes– students and staff– funding/political organisations– commercial interests– copyright bodies etc.

Clarification

• Review of current research• Overview of exemplar practice • Examination of peer projects

– Union Catalog for Art Images (UCAI)

Clarification

• Individuals and/or institutions championing specified proposals

• Presentations of ARTstor, Bridgeman Art Library etc. to working parties

• Series of expert seminars and online conferences to debate consultation results

Evaluation

• Publication of all conclusions• Paper/s outlining recommendations and

implications

Evaluation

• Finding a way forward…?• Further funding• Talks with lead bodies

Implementation

• Finding a way forward…?• Further funding• Talks with leading bodies• National plan

Implementation

• The right images in the right format• Legal issues sorted• Usable structure• Facilitates and manages loans• Sharing/pooling of resources• Common standards• Safeguards and permissions• Adequate support

Plan for the UK

• Your support• Promotion• Any questions? Any advice?

• Your views!

Your part…?

• National model – external• National model – internal• Local model• Commercial image libraries• National Fund• Serendipity

The Solutions

• Identification of ‘corpus’ of images• Setting up of a body• Licensing agreement• Shared software tools• Searching and downloading• EDINA and SCRAN

National model - external

• Pooling of resources• Joining up of multiple institutes• Interoperability• Shared software tools• Uploading or harvesting• Searching and downloading• Large and small

National model - internal

• Owned collections• Material created for VLE/intranet• Limited interest• Politics/finances• IPR…

Local model

• ARTstor• Bridgeman• Getty – EDINA• Saskia• Commercial licensing agreements

Commercial image libraries

• Dedicated money – NOF?• Agreed agendas• Local, small scale projects• Nationally important, large scale projects• Strategic overview

National fund

• Google…

Serendipity

• Google…• IPR• Metadata• Quality• Misinformation• Etc., etc.

Serendipity

• Discuss the implications, both positive and negative, of each of the six potential models

• Note down several issues• Create wish-list

For this session

• Discuss the implications, both positive and negative, of each of the six potential models

• Note down several issues• Create wish-list

• Discuss results with rest of group

For this session