Integrated Architecture
Digital programmes in the cultural heritage sector over the past 10 years have resulted in a range of related but separate initiatives. The Collections Trust, with funding from the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) and Strategic Content Alliance, is working to consolidate this reality before moving into the next generation of services.
The Integrated Architecture is a vision of how existing systems can be made to work together by using common standards to reduce duplication and increase impact. The idea isn't one system but many systems united by collaboration and a commitment to reaching the widest possible audience.
By 2011, the aim is to have established a network of systems which bring together information from all museums, archives and libraries, and broker it into mass-market services, including Google and Europeana. This network will also drive improvements in the quality of information, provide the sector with vital intelligence about the market for digital cultural content and reduce the overall costs of digital service delivery.
A conceptual diagram of the Integrated Architecture:
For up-to-date information about the development of the programme, visit www.openculture.collectionstrustblogs.org.uk.
