Support for the Collections Trust’s call for the DCMS to develop a framework to promote and manage the digitisation of the UK’s cultural heritage has come from the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology in its follow-up report on Science and Heritage.
The Select Committee says: “A national digitisation framework is needed to address issues of sustainability, the prevention of duplication and loss of digital records, and to stimulate a potentially lucrative income stream”.
Its call for action is made in Science and Heritage: a follow-up and is part of a suite of recommendations to encourage DCMS and BIS to be more proactive in their leadership of the heritage science community. This view was also echoed by David Willetts MP in his evidence to the committee.
In written evidence to the Select Committee the Collections Trust stated: “The lack of a joined-up digitisation strategy is undoubtedly resulting in inefficiency. The net result is two-fold: the taxpayer is not receiving value for money on its investment in digitisation; and cultural organisations are failing to capitalise on opportunities for public-private partnerships with the commercial sector.”
Further information on the Collections Trust’s digital programmes is available from Collections Link at www.collectionslink.org.uk.
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Further information and Press enquiries
Nick Poole, Chief Executive, Collections Trust. Tel 0207 942 6080 e-mail: nick@collectionstrust.org.uk
John Woolley, Development Director, Collections Trust. Tel: 0207 942 6084, e-mail john@collectionstrust.org.uk.
The Collections Trust
The Collections Trust is an independent UK-based organisation working with museums, libraries, galleries and archives worldwide to improve the management of their Collections. Its mission is to help museums, galleries, libraries and archives unlock the potential in their collections.
It does this for the collections community by providing know-how, developing and promoting excellence, challenging existing practices, pioneering new ideas, and bringing experts together.
The Collections Trust is also an independent registered charity. It receives funding from various national partners including Arts Council England and the national organisations in Scotland and Wales.
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