Integrating collections data to build sustainable online resources

Museum of London Integrating collections data to build sustainable online resources UK Museums and the Web 2011 Alex Bromley Rhiannon Looseley Matthew Rose

Museum began putting its collections online around 2001. Initially to accompany exhibitions but gradually this increased to large scale digitisation projects such as Ceramics and Glass and Exploring 20 th century London. By 2009 the Museum had a large number of collections records available largely on a project-by-project basis in the form of microsites (self-contained pages on the website driven by their own dataset) History of collections online at Museum of London

Microsites:
located in different areas of our website and had their own searching, browsing and navigation mechanisms
difficult to update
different schemas
Departments created their own web resources, using re-created or duplicated sets of collections data.
No automated way of providing records to third parties, e.g. Culture Grid
Project driven workflow for digitisation
Project driven copyright clearance procedures
Collections-related data (Text and images) outside MIMSY XG was scattered, duplicated and unstructured
Common Issues

Result
Inefficiency in use of museum resources
Confusing user experience
No real understanding of what we had online and what level of quality the data was at
Unable to fully exploit digital opportunities
In-house resources were not connected, leading to different data being recorded about the same object

Create a new technical infrastructure to support the ongoing and incremental sharing and delivery of collections information online including a new dedicated area of the Museum of London website
Single Collections Online delivery system that will both meet our immediate goals and give us a long term infrastructure that can be developed over time and adapted to meet the business needs of the Museum.
Users will be able to search across all of the Museum’s on-line collections and will be offered a choice of browse, navigation and search tools designed for differing needs.
Create a repository that collates object and contextual information from various sources to provide a set of collections information for both internal and online use.
Creation of the repository will be accompanied by sustainable and efficient working practices that support the ongoing digitisation of collections information by integrating digitisation into core business processes such as acquisition and exhibitions.
The project is committed to ensuring that these resources are reusable, interoperable and user-focussed.
Collections Online Delivery System: Project Vision

Requirements for the CDS
Central, quality assured core information set created to agreed and layered standards, e.g. Core, Extended 1, Extended 2
Single repository for collections data
Reliable extraction routine from MIMSY XG
Ability to ‘augment’ collections data and re-purpose for different contexts
Ability to ingest non-MIMSY collections-related data and re-use for different contexts
Linked data functionality
Create an infrastructure that is robust, modular, flexible, that can be delivered incrementally and can be adapted over time

Progress since 2009
Advocacy of project to senior management - ‘making the case’
IT Strategy, Requirements document and development project
Delivery of a collections information integration module (CIIM) (Feb 2010)
Gallery kiosks in Galleries of Modern London (May 2010) using new infrastructure
Collections online in a re-launched Museum website (April 2011)
First attempt to use CIIM for a cross-departmental project, Picturebank (April 2011)

Today’s presentations
The first project to work with us and test the new system was the Picturebank, initiated by the Learning dept.
Rhiannon Looseley – background to Picturebank, issues and methodology
Matthew Rose – data standards, quality assurance, workflow and collaboration

Picturebank background
Redevelopment of Pocket Histories and Picturebank:
www.museumoflondon.org.uk/pockethistories
www.museumoflondon.org.uk/picturebank

New Picturebank

Previous Picturebank

Objects exported into the CIIM

Add data to each group

Add data to each object

Finished record
Leather restraining belt, made about 1840, used by Suffragettes around 1908

Matthew Rose , Documentation Assistant Worked on Collections Online and Picturebank Developing, Processing and Uploading Content to Picturebank Planning Developing Core Content Additional Procedures Contextualising the data

Time allocated for reflection on aims and aspirations Key themes of sustainability and integration through using the CIIM Defining my role – ‘Bridging the gap’ Project Meetings advocated staff collaboration - Key questions: Why are we doing this? Is the resource satisfying a need of potential users? Will it compete with existing external resources (Wiki etc)? Is this intended for long-term support? Where will it sit next to other MoL online resources (e.g. Collections Online)? Planning Developing Core Content Additional Procedures Contextualising the data

Adopting existing procedures and practices Basic Workflow emerged Mimsy XG CIIM Picturebank Next step – building the core Picturebank information in Mimsy XG Collections Online Planning Developing Core Content Additional Procedures Contextualising the data (Collections delivery system)

Planning Developing Core Content Additional Procedures Contextualising the data Previous approach – bespoke data standards Current approach – using Mimsy XG data standards - Developed to meet the needs of internal and external stakeholders, particularly for exporting records to the CIIM. - Potential for multiple online records for the same object with differing data available. Developing Picturebank core content - Upgrading/Reusing records
Records not already online would need new or amended data according to data standards.

- Image quality checking
Copyright assessment
Data Quality Assurance
Once upgraded, the completed record is passed through the following procedures Outcome – a set of detailed quality assured records that can be reused in multiple contexts Benefits of this framework
Ensures data consistency
Tried and tested
Minimum training – maximum ‘buy-in’
Planning Developing Core Content Additional Procedures Contextualising the data

Benefits of using the CIIM for record contextualisation Contextualising the records for the Picturebank resource
Record augmentation
Data transformation
Core Mimsy XG data untouched
Multiple contextualisation schemas available
Live automated link between Mimsy XG and CIIM
Planning Developing Core Content Additional Procedures Contextualising the data Completed records uploaded to CIIM

Actionable lessons
Take time to build the foundations properly (technical infrastructure, data standard, procedures etc)
Be prepared to work collaboratively and accommodate different working practices
Seek integration with tried and tested policies and procedures
Copyright – ensure that any rights clearance covers all possible uses to avoid duplication of effort
Employ a minimum data standard that suits both internal and external users
Future sustainability is key: look to re-purpose and re-use resources

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Integrating collections data to build sustainable online resources

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Integrating collections data to build sustainable online resources Presentation Transcript