Hi all:
In the interest of streamlining our collections inventory (down from 3-4 years to 6 months - EEK!), we're cutting back on taking more formal studio shots of objects and simply doing brief snapshots. We're also just about to release our database online, and we only have about 2000 images available of the museum objects (out of 14,000 records and growing). I'm trying to decide if I should release these low-quality snapshots to the public or not. Pros: Image assets are always good Helps researchers and us We already have crappy photos publically available, so this wouldn't change much Cons: Potential for rights & reproduction requests for objects safely tucked in a box and irretrievable Not the best photos in the world and many are useless for research use (no marks, inscriptions, etc., except in the description) I'm leaning toward the pros outweighing the cons, but I'm wondering if someone else has dealt with this issue and how? Is it better to just leave them off the site altogether? Thanks in advance, Perian Sully Collections Information Manager Web Programs Strategist The Magnes 2911 Russell St. Berkeley, CA 94705 Work: 510-549-6950 x 357 Fax: 510-849-3673 http://www.magnes.org http://www.musematic.org http://www.mediaandtechnology.org
