Fast forward in the Netherlands

Images for the Future: Unlocking the Value of Audiovisual Heritage

The huge project to digitise the Dutch av heritage is very well covered in this article.

Welcome to the new socio-economic model. Hmm. Hope it works.

Abstract

Images for the Future is the largest digitization effort in Europe to date.

A consortium of 6 partners (including three archives) is migrating a

substantial part of the Dutch audiovisual heritage to a digital

environment.

The project has three objectives: safeguarding heritage for future

generations, creating social- economical value, and supporting

innovation in cultural infrastructure. Much is to be expected from

recent developments in computer science, especially in the areas

of data-mining, information retrieval, and user-audience participation

capabilities.

To achieve these objectives, the cultural heritage sector is challenged

to re-evaluate its business models. This article presents the theoretical

framework in which Images for the Future is operating, and

substantiates this framework with concrete examples of results.