Digital strategies and new archives: developing digital archival access at the National Maritime...

Scale and prioritisation(photo by Flickr member Dominique Pipet)

Layered access model(photo by Flickr member Rghrous)

Resource discovery layer

Digital surrogacy

Context and interpretation

Ref Proposed criteria Methodology for assessment

A Social inclusion (to improve access or reach new audiences)

Objects can be compared against specific areas of interest, e.g. immigration

B Documented user need (e.g. frequently requested items, items nominated by users in consultation, matches top subjects searched for on the museum’s website)

analysis of search terms across NMMexternal consultation (e.g. through blogs)frequently-requested itemsprimary sources with family-history appeal

C Reduce need for physical access to objectif on-site storage is impossible,fragility of object,concerns over security

D Wide/popular appeal for a non-specialist audience high-profile stories (e.g. Titanic, Scott,

Shackleton)human-interest stories

E Synchronisation with museum programmes (e.g. learning programmes, exhibitions, research initiatives)

comparison with exhibition masterplancomparison with curatorial research strategycomparison with learning programmes

Context and interpretation

Pilots

1. The Commons on Flickr

2. Data mining and information visualisation

3. Syndication on Europeana

1. The Commons on Flickr

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2. Data mining and visualisation

3. Syndication to Europeana

Strategies1. Invite the public to contribute their knowledge to our collections

2. Use automated textual analysis, where practical

3. Link 3D and 2D collections via subjects, people, vessels, place and date, e.g. interpreting crew lists through the relevant ship plans, charts, and historic photographs

4. Embrace different levels of interpretation – from ‘stub’ catalogue entries, to full entries, digital surrogates, and narratives

5. Develop an open license for all NMM content, and syndicate widely

Case study: warship histories