On Convergence and Open Data: Challenges for Libraries, Archives and Museums

Abstract

This paper addresses some of the challenges libraries, archives and museums face in the digital age, with a focus on organisational and strategic challenges in Flanders, Belgium. As we look at how cultural institutions approach digital access in a networked landscape, the concepts collaboration, convergence and aggregation are key. We first revisit the results of two Flemish research projects from the period 2009-2011, Additionally, we look at more recent policy approaches and implications. Moreover, departing from the ongoing project Europeana Inside, we widen the scope beyond Flanders to address the increasing commitment to open cultural data expected in Europe. We argue that this can be seen as a more recent challenge in the convergence sphere and we look at institutions5 views with regards to open data in Flanders. In this way, the paper provides an update to the lessons learned from the projects. It indicates that, certainly in Flanders, high levels of cooperation, convergence and aggregation as well as commitment to open data are as yet still major challenges for many libraries, archives and museums.

Contributors

Eva Van Passel

Olga Van Oost

Conference

Publication date: July 2013

Publication date (Print): July 2013

Pages: 196-202

Affiliations

iMinds-SMIT, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (1)

Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels

Belgium

(1) & FARO. Flemish Interface Centre for Cultural Heritage

Priemstraat 51, 1000 Brussels

Belgium

Article

DOI: 10.14236/ewic/EVA2013.42

Copyright statement: © Eva Van Passel et al. Published by BCS Learning and Development Ltd. Electronic Visualisation and the Arts (EVA 2013), London, UK

License:

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Conference name: Electronic Visualisation and the Arts (EVA 2013)

Conference acronym: EVA

Conference number:

Conference location: London, UK

Conference date: 29 - 31 July 2013

Conference sponsor: Electronic Workshops in Computing (eWiC)

Conference theme: Electronic Visualisation and the Arts (EVA 2013)

Product

Product Information: 1477-9358BCS Learning & Development

Self URI (article page): https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.14236/ewic/EVA2013.42

Self URI (journal page): https://ewic.bcs.org/

Categories

Series title: Electronic Workshops in Computing