Tying Digital Assets to Collections Data with Theresa Regli
When museums implement a DAM system, the most common asset type is typically pictures of items in the museum itself: paintings, sculptures, historical objects. Inevitably, data about those items already exist in another data store -- sometimes a spreadsheet, but more often, a Collections Management System (CMS). The data in this system becomes instrumental to finding and using digital assets for varied museum initiatives. If you don't integrate the collections data with the digital assets, you end up creating a lot of manual effort and redundant data. Collections data is also highly relevant for describing digital assets that aren't necessarily pictures of items in the museum: education programmes, events, or other initiatives.
This session will explore some best practices for linking your collections data with digital assets, using some real world examples of the benefits and potential ROI.
The Humboldt Forum: Integrating DAM and Collections Management Systems
The Humboldt Forum in Berlin has just opened - at least digitally. Collections and exhibitions from four cultural and academic institutions have been brought under a single ‘roof’:
- Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz (including the Ethnological Museum and the Museum of Asian Art)
- Stadtmuseum Berlin
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
- Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss
Together they encompass a broad spectrum of historical, ethnological and natural science exhibits and works of art.
In today's visual and digital age, collections and exhibitions no longer consist solely of museum objects. There are also:
- ‘Born-digital’ assets and digital exhibits
- Numerous digital assets - images, videos, audios - related to physical exhibits
The challenge:
Currently digital assets and object metadata are in different software systems, but exhibitions, publications and multiple digital offerings require information from multiple sources.
Meeting the challenge:
Currently we are working to a) integrate our DAM and Collections Management System and b) embed data in a comprehensive digital landscape.
Up for discussion:
How is a still young institution tackling the challenges?
Inside the engine room:
How we’ve structured the digital system landscape.
