Image Service Demonstrator Project

Project Justification

The CDL manages a substantial collection of digital image surrogates for works in architecture and the visual arts as well as a documented desire from bibliographers and visual resource curators to acquire or license images . Although it is developing the means to deliver these images in an online environment, it is not capable in the short term of offering more than basic search and retrieval functionality. As such, it is not likely in the short term to satisfy those working in architecture, art history, fine arts, and museum science who regularly use image surrogates for works of art and architecture in their teaching, research, and learning. Such users require additional functionality that includes side-by-side presentation, image manipulation, grouping, annotation, slide-show presentation, etc. Although these functions are in particular demand in these relatively narrow and highly specialized fields, they are also known to be desirable to scholars, teachers, and learners in other disciplines who incorporate art historical visual resources in their own work. In the digital world, as in the print, the art history slide library, including its slide tables, inventories, and collections, demonstrably serves scholars and students in any discipline that needs access to surrogate images for works of art and architecture. Meeting that user demand and providing a high-quality outlet for the CDL's growing image collections are two principal justifications for this project.

Additionally, the CDL requires continuous assessment of its evolving METS digital object repository its inter-relationship with diverse content services that will be layered on top of it. The demonstrator provides an opportunity to assess costs involved to us both in ingesting digital images as METS objects and in processing those objects as appropriate for their presentation in fully featured image delivery software.

1. Operational online image service that uses Luna Insight to deliver to UC campuses digital image surrogates for works in architectural and the visual arts. The service will at a minimum comprise two collections (as essential to investigate use of federated image collections). One of these collections will include the c. 100,000 digital images being produced by MOAC.
2. Formal assessment including recommendations to the CDL management group about whether, how, and at what cost to whom the service may be sustained and developed. Formal assessment of the demonstrator may focus upon:
   • Assessment of use. The project will be mounted in part to determine in a practical and applied environment the value of specialist image delivery and presentation tools to research, teaching, and learning
   • Assessment of collection management and collection development potential. The project team will determine what use can be made of the service by those who manage collections of art historical and architectural objects (e.g. in museums) or of image surrogates of such objects (e.g. in art libraries). In this regard, the project will engage in consultation with professional staff at selected art libraries and museums. Consultation at this level will help assess the prototype's functionality, usefulness, collection potential, and user support requirements. It will also help determine:
     • the software's efficacy as an image management tool, and
     • the incentives that might encourage libraries and museums to use it in either centralized or distributed modes.
   • Assessment of service continuation. The development initiative will be assessed formally with a view to its continuation. Performance indicators will be developed by the project team and will be guided by questions such as those listed below.
     • How and by whom is the service used? What user needs does it meet and how well does it meet them? What user needs remain unfulfilled?
     • How is the service perceived of and used by those who manage collections of works of art and architecture or of image surrogates for such works?
     • What potential is there for developing the service's collections? How and by whom, and with what policy-level guidance will collection development decisions be taken? What are the costs involved in building collections? How and by whom can these costs be met?
     • What are the service's operational requirements? How, by whom, and at what costs can they be met? Are sufficient resources available to meet these costs?
     • What strategies will be required to promote the service to key end-user communities and to support the service's use? How, by whom, and at what costs to whom will such strategies be implemented?
   • Assessment of co-development opportunities. Initial discussions with Luna suggest there may be several worth exploring. The construction of the demonstrator might permit co-development in the following areas:
     • Investigation into tools appropriate for processing digital image and metadata content presented as METS objects
     • Assessment of training needs and materials as may be required by faculty, staff, and students to use Luna in their research and teaching
     • Review of new Luna Insight tools being developed to enhance its usefulness as a data management tool (including distributed data editing tools, tools for including personalized content)