May 25, 2015
The big idea: creating opportunities for learning, creativity & entertainment by making museum, library and archive content available to and usable by everyone, everywhere.
The story....
In 2009, 70% of all UK households are online
76% of the adult UK population has accessed the Internet in the past 3 months
64% of this population regularly purchase goods or services online
Online retail accounted for £222bn of transactions in 2008
£106bn of this was spent on leisure activity, travel and tourism
This is the mass-market
The museum, archive and library story....
In the Beginning...
1970’s
Thou shalt
AcquireEverythin
g
1980’s
Thou shalt
Document
Everything
1990’s
Thou shalt
DigitiseEverythin
g
The result?
Demand... ...supply
Demand... ...supply...meets...
2010’s
Thou shalt
ConnectEverythin
g
How it works
Museum Library Archive
Museum Library Archive
PUT THEIR CONTENT INTO
Databases Websites Catalogues
Museum Library Archive
PUT THEIR CONTENT INTO
Databases Websites Catalogues
FROM WHERE WE AGGREGATE IT INTO
Our database
Museum Library Archive
PUT THEIR CONTENT INTO
Databases Websites Catalogues
FROM WHERE WE AGGREGATE IT INTO
Our database PRESERVE IT Digital Archive
Museum Library Archive
PUT THEIR CONTENT INTO
Databases Websites Catalogues
FROM WHERE WE AGGREGATE IT INTO
Our database PRESERVE IT Digital Archive
SHARE IT
For free, open re-use With mass-media partners
Museum Library Archive
PUT THEIR CONTENT INTO
Databases Websites Catalogues
FROM WHERE WE AGGREGATE IT INTO
Our database PRESERVE IT Digital Archive
SHARE IT
For free, open re-use With mass-media partners
DELIVER IT
To real consumers!
The majority of the costs of developing the Culture Grid have been paid for by the European Commission.
Collections Trust, MLA and Museums Galleries Scotland have also invested in it.
What are we doing with it now?
(The apps)
Delivering the UK contribution to Europeana...
...more than 800k records from 80+ participating institutions
Delivering cultural content to the BBC...
...20 participating organisations contributing to the BBC Centuryshare Project
Delivering cultural content to Google...
...fully indexed and linking back to the institutions
Providing hosted search...
...a simple query-builder which lets anyone tailor their own search of cultural content and embed it in their
own site
Supporting collections mapping & subject specialism...
...providing the Culture Grid as a platform for Museums Galleries Scotland, Inspire, Reading Agency and a range
of others to map and share their collections
Delivering Cultural Content into Wikipedia...
...enabling Wikimedians to embed and enrich cultural content in their articles
Who likes it?
Tim Berners-Lee (Linked Data Czar)
Sion Simon (Creative Industries Minister)
Ed Vaizey (Shadow Culture Minister)
EMI
Wikipedia
Flickr
Outside of New Zealand, this is world-beating technology delivering public value.
The possibilities are infinite