Digital data exists in the British Museum in many different forms, from many different sources and for many different uses. It includes digital images registered as collection objects, photographic assets of the wider physical collection, scientific and conservation data related to the collection, and archival data amongst other things.
Laura Mitchell, chair of the DPC said “The museum sector is facing a wide variety of digital preservation issues and it is therefore great news, and very encouraging, to see the British Museum joining the DPC. This significantly increases our profile in the museum sector and I look forward to welcoming many others following the example set “.
“The Museum views the sustainable management of its digital assets as an organisational priority in attaining our larger goal of being a museum of the world for the world. This aim has been supported by the Museum’s African Rock Art Image Project which is registering some 25,000 digital photographs into the collection; a first for the Museum,” explained Glenn Cumiskey, Digital Preservation Manager at the British Museum. “We view membership of the DPC as an essential step in facilitating the capacity building necessary to enable our vision.”
‘We are delighted to welcome the British Museum to the Coalition”, said William Kilbride of the DPC. “Their appointment of a Digital Preservation Manager within the last year shows the museum’s commitment to the ongoing challenge of digital preservation. Glenn is very active within the community and I am looking forward to collaborating with him to the mutual benefit of other memory and heritage institutions as well as all DPC members.”
More information about the British Museum can be found on their website: http://www.britishmuseum.org/
More information about the Digital Preservation Coalition can be found here: http://www.dpconline.org/
To join the Digital Preservation Coalition see: http://www.dpconline.org/join-us