Creating Digital Content
Digitisation
Digitisation is the process of converting information into a digital format. This can be creating a digital image of an item through the use of a digital camera or scanner, or converting film or audio records so that they can be directly processed by a computer.
By digitising items in your collection, you can increase access whilst ensuring the preservation of the original material. When planning a digitisation project, you must consider digital preservation to ensure that your digital content will continue to be accessible and usable for years to come.Click on the links below for further information and guidance.
Online Resources:
- Resources and guidance on Digitisation
http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/collections-link/going-digital/digitisation
- Guidance and Resources on Digital Preservation
http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/collections-link/going-digital/digital-preservation
- Digitisation at the National Archives
- Digital Continuity
- Digital Preservation – Evaluating File Formats
http://nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/information-management/evaluating-file-formats.pdf
- How can I Afford to Digitise my Collections?
https://jisc.ac.uk/guides/how-can-i-afford-to-digitise-my-collections
- Digitisation Toolkit
http://library.leeds.ac.uk/tutorials/digitisation_toolkit/
- Images are Key: Photographing Objects for the Web
http://www.southwestmuseums.org.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Images-are-Key.pdf
- How To Guides – for Digitisation:
https://www.townswebarchiving.com/blog/
- Planning Digitisation Projects – Best Practice / Tips:
https://www.townswebarchiving.com/2014/09/planning-digitisation-projects-a-best-practice-tips/
Case Studies:
- Digitisation of Shoe Collection by the Alfred Gillett Trust, Somerset
https://alfredgilletttrust.wordpress.com/shoe-digitisation-project/
- Digitisation of the Photographic Archive at the Morrab Library, Penzance
http://morrablibrary.org.uk/photo-archive/digitisation-project/
Copyright
You must ensure that you hold the copyright for any items you digitise and that you consider Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and licensing. Below are links to help you further understand copyright law.
Online resources:
- Information about Digital Copyright and Licensing
http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/collections-link/going-digital/copyright-and-licensing
- UK Copyright Law (fact sheet)
http://www.copyrightservice.co.uk/copyright/p01_uk_copyright_law
- Calculate the risks of using an orphan work (i.e. copyright holder cannot be traced)
http://www.web2rights.com/OERIPRSupport/risk-management-calculator/
Audio Visual
You cancreate and share your content in a variety of ways using audio visual devices, from online videos showcasing your museum, to oral history interviews forming part of an exhibition. The below link provides advice on how you can utilise this technology for your museum.
Online resources:
- Audio Visual Guide (Creating Podcasts, Oral History, and Videos)
http://sharemuseumseast.org.uk/audio-visual-guide/
