One problem that museums sometimes face in making this decision is that collections systems are object-related, while museums typically have lots of digital assets that are not object-specific. Audio tours & podcasts, brochures and other print publications, videos, educational materials, presentation slides, CAD drawings of exhibition designs, photos of people and events, VRs of installations, etc. Where do those assets go, in the structure that a collections system provides? If a museum DAMS is going to be a one-stop solution, most likely it'll need to handle these things.
Another main issue is the sophistication of the user-level asset manipulation and production workflow tools that DAMS often provide. For example, most DAMS offer automated production of properly-sized and formatted derivative images for your web site, and some have "export to powerpoint" or other handy slide-manipulation tools. Many have mechanisms for approving and verifying image uses for different purposes, based on pre-assigned rights-management rules. Some have e-commerce modules for licensing images to outside customers. I'm not familiar with MINT, but these are areas in which most collections systems are not really competing right now. These don't look like primary concerns of yours, but I mention them just in case! Good luck, Matt On 6/27/06 4:54 PM, "Nilsen, Dianne" <dnilsen at ccp.library.arizona.edu> wrote: > > > > > _____ > > From: Nilsen, Dianne > Sent: Wednesday, June 21, 2006 9:48 AM > To: 'mcn-l at mcn.edu' > Subject: FW: Can a CIS be a DAMS too? > > > > > > This message is being resubmitted to the MCN List, now that it is up and > running again. If you already received it, please forgive the > redundancy. Thanks in advance to any of you who have the time and > inclination to share your thoughts. Special thanks to Marla Misunas and > Tim Au Yeung for comments they have sent to me personally. > > > > > > _____ > > From: Nilsen, Dianne > Sent: Tuesday, May 23, 2006 12:01 PM > To: 'mcn-l at mcn.edu' > Subject: Can a CIS be a DAMS too? > > > > Dear All, > > > > I am seeking collective wisdom from this group to help me with a unique > opportunity here at the Center for Creative Photography. We've > purchased a new collection information system (CIS) and are in the joint > application development stage with our vendor, Minisis. We selected > their product, MINT, because it integrates three distinctly designed > modules for management of art collections, archival collections and > bibliographic collections. The director and CEO, Christopher Burcsik, > is willing to create new data element fields so that we can capture > technical and preservation metadata relating specifically to digital > objects. I hope to end up with a "hybrid" system that will serve our > needs for collection management and digital assets management for our > holdings of nearly 80,000 photographs and selected archival material. > Hence the question, "Can a CIS be a DAMS too?" > > > > If you are so kind to respond to this long message, please note that we > have the descriptive and administrative metadata mapping processes well > underway in preparation for migration. It is the metadata that relates > specifically to digital objects that I am concerned with here. My task > is to come up with all the new data elements to use during the > digitization process and to automate the capture of technical and > preservation metadata as much as possible. > > > > One specific concept I've discussed with Minisis and would greatly > appreciate your comments on is customizing the system to parse technical > metadata that is automatically captured by scanning devices (and > imbedded in the image files), into individual element fields in the > database. I wonder if this innovation might prove useful in the future, > because it would allow us to export custom, detailed technical reports > with images in XML format for web projects and collaborative digital > initiatives. I also wonder if having technical metadata stored outside > the image files in searchable fields would prove useful for future > migration or for tasks such as documenting format conversions. > Christopher tells me it is possible to parse the data, but before we > take advantage of his time and generosity, I'd like to hear perspectives > from any of you who may be dealing with similar challenges. > > > > To elaborate a bit, some technical metadata is automatically captured by > the scanning back we use (BetterLight Super 6K2) and a huge amount of > metadata is captured by our digital SLRs. I have been studying the NISO > Z39.87 document, Technical Metadata for Digital Still Images, but the > number of fields in that document is over the top in regard to the > Center's needs. The architecture of Minisis, I understand, is such that > selected key data elements can be clustered together, as might be handy > when describing differently sized image files representing the same > original object. For example; Master File location; format; image size; > pixel dimensions; color space; RGB values; calibration target; etc., > might be part of one cluster of data elements for a capture TIFF (some > automated and some batched in). Other clusters might include individual > data elements for variously sized cropped JPEG versions such as; ZOOM; > Full page; Preview; Thumbnail; or other data elements such as might be > specific to a derivative in JPEG2000 format. > > > > In regard to preservation metadata, I've been looking primarily at the > PREMIS data model and data dictionary. I am struggling with the > question: "How much information is required to sustain our digital > assets over time as technology changes?" Although I admire the work of > this group, I find this document overwhelming, as well. Have any of you > come up with a template for implementing preservation metadata elements > into your digital asset management processes? > > > > I've attached a sample training document for capture of original > photographs here at the Center, just for reference. 95% of the time, > original objects are already fully catalogued before they reach the > imaging studio. I need to add the entry of (non-automated) digital > object metadata to our CIS, within our scanning workflow, most likely at > the point where the master scans are optimized and the derivatives are > linked to their corresponding records (We also plan to automate the > image optimizing process more in the future, possibly utilizing Adobe > Bridge and JPEG2000 format for all derivatives) > > > > Many thanks in advance for taking time out of busy days to read this > long message, share your comments, expertise and any random thoughts on > the validity of the ideas above. If any of you have already created > templates for capture of technical or preservation metadata on your own, > and are willing to share details I will appreciate it greatly. Please > feel free to email me directly. > > > > Dianne > > > > dnilsen at ccp.library.arizona.edu > > > > Dianne Nilsen > > Head of Digital Initiatives & Imaging > > Center for Creative Photography > > University of Arizona > > P.O. Box 210103 > > Tucson, Arizona 85721-0103 > > > > Phone 520-307-2829 > > Fax 520-621-9444 > > > > <mailto:dnilsen at ccp.library.arizona.edu> > > http://www.creativephotography.org <http://www.creativephotography.org/> > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum Computer > Network (http://www.mcn.edu) > > To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l at mcn.edu > > To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: > http://toronto.mediatrope.com/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l
