OpenGLAM Principles | OpenGLAM

"Note: This is the first version of the OpenGLAM principles which we have drafted together with the OpenGLAM Working Group. We would like this to be a community effort so please give feedback on the OpenGLAM mailing list! ... Galleries, libraries, archives and museums have an important role in supporting the advance of humanity’s knowledge. They have traditionally been the gatekeepers of the our cultural heritage and in their collections they hold the record of mankind. The internet affords cultural heritage institutions a radical new opportunity to engage global audiences and make their collections more discoverable and connected than ever, allowing users not only to enjoy the riches of the world’s memory institutions, but also to contribute, participate and share. By open we mean that it is freely available on the public internet permitting any user to download, copy, and reuse for any other purpose without financial, legal, or technical barriers other than those inseparable from gaining access to the internet itself. The OpenGLAM principles are in accordance with the Open Definition, which can be summed up in the statement that: “A piece of data or content is open if anyone is free to use, reuse, and redistribute it — subject only, at most, to the requirement to attribute and/or share-alike.” It is important to bear in mind that applying an open license to your data and content is not the end of the story. Openness to collaboration and to novel forms of user engagement are essential if cultural heritage institutions are to realise the full potential of the internet for access, innovation and digital scholarship. These legal principles below are prerequisites to enabling full potential of reuse of the data ..."