MARC

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022 |a 0022-0418 
022 |a 1758-7379 
024 7 |a 10.1108/JD-12-2023-0263  |2 doi 
035 |a 3144733690 
045 2 |b d20250101  |b d20250228 
084 |a 38173  |2 nlm 
100 1 |a Humbel, Marco  |u Department of Information Studies, University College London, London, UK 
245 1 |a Socio-cultural challenges in collections digital infrastructures 
260 |b Emerald Group Publishing Limited  |c 2025 
513 |a Journal Article 
520 3 |a PurposeThis paper aims to explore the accelerations and constraints libraries, archives, museums and heritage organisations (“collections-holding organisations”) face in their role as collection data providers for digital infrastructures. To date, digital infrastructures operate within the cultural heritage domain typically as data aggregation platforms, such as Europeana or Art UK.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews with 18 individuals in 8 UK collections-holding organisations and 2 international aggregators.FindingsDiscussions about digital infrastructure development often lay great emphasis on questions and problems that are technical and legal in nature. As important as technical and legal matters are, more latent, yet potent challenges exist too. Though less discussed in the literature, collections-holding organisations' capacity to participate in digital infrastructures is dependent on a complex interplay of funding allocation across the sector, divergent traditions of collection description and disciplinaries’ idiosyncrasies. Accordingly, we call for better social-cultural and trans-sectoral (collections-holding organisations, universities and technological providers) understandings of collection data infrastructure development.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors recommend developing more understanding of the social-cultural aspects (e.g. disciplinary conventions) and their impact on collection data dissemination. More studies on the impact and opportunities of unified collections for different audiences and collections-holding organisations themselves are required too.Practical implicationsSustainable financial investment across the heritage sector is required to address the discrepancies between different organisation types in their capacity to deliver collection data. Smaller organisations play a vital role in diversifying the (digital) historical canon, but they often struggle to digitise collections and bring catalogues online in the first place. In addition, investment in existing infrastructures for collection data dissemination and unification is necessary, instead of creating new platforms, with various levels of uptake and longevity. Ongoing investments in collections curation and high-quality cataloguing are prerequisites for a sustainable heritage sector and collection data infrastructures. Investments in the sustainability of infrastructures are not a replacement for research and vice versa.Social implicationsThe authors recommend establishing networks where collections-holding organisations, technology providers and users can communicate their experiences and needs in an ongoing way and influence policy.Originality/valueTo date, the research focus on developing collection data infrastructures has tended to be on the drive to adopt specific technological solutions and copyright licensing practices. This paper offers a critical and holistic analysis of the dispersed experience of collections-holding organisations in their role as data providers for digital infrastructures. The paper contributes to the emerging understanding of the latent factors that make infrastructural endeavours in the heritage sector complex undertakings. 
610 4 |a European Commission 
651 4 |a United Kingdom--UK 
653 |a Metadata 
653 |a Museums 
653 |a Information sharing 
653 |a Humanities 
653 |a Platforms 
653 |a Cultural factors 
653 |a Research & development--R&D 
653 |a Collection management 
653 |a Infrastructure 
653 |a Cultural resources 
653 |a Investments 
653 |a Open access 
653 |a Innovations 
653 |a Data management 
653 |a Archives & records 
653 |a Art 
653 |a Licensing (technology) 
653 |a Cultural heritage 
653 |a Sociocultural factors 
653 |a Research 
653 |a Data collection 
653 |a Data quality 
653 |a Social networks 
653 |a Catalogues 
653 |a Organizations 
653 |a Sustainability 
653 |a Libraries 
653 |a Data 
653 |a Conventions 
653 |a Cataloging 
653 |a Collections 
653 |a Dissemination 
653 |a Discrepancies 
653 |a Uptake 
653 |a Predominantly White Institutions 
653 |a Cultural Background 
653 |a Interviews 
653 |a Innovation 
653 |a Information Dissemination 
653 |a Capacity Building 
653 |a Research Tools 
700 1 |a Nyhan, Julianne  |u Department of Information Studies, University College London, London, UK; Technische Universitat Darmstadt Institut fur Geschichte, Darmstadt, Germany 
700 1 |a Pearlman, Nina  |u UCL Art Collection, University College London, London, UK 
700 1 |a Vlachidis, Andreas  |u Department of Information Studies, University College London, London, UK 
700 1 |a Hill, J D  |u The British Museum, London, UK 
700 1 |a Flinn, Andrew  |u Department of Information Studies, University College London, London, UK 
773 0 |t Journal of Documentation  |g vol. 81, no. 1 (2025), p. 56-85 
786 0 |d ProQuest  |t ABI/INFORM Global 
856 4 1 |3 Citation/Abstract  |u https://www.proquest.com/docview/3144733690/abstract/embedded/7BTGNMKEMPT1V9Z2?source=fedsrch 
856 4 0 |3 Full Text  |u https://www.proquest.com/docview/3144733690/fulltext/embedded/7BTGNMKEMPT1V9Z2?source=fedsrch 
856 4 0 |3 Full Text - PDF  |u https://www.proquest.com/docview/3144733690/fulltextPDF/embedded/7BTGNMKEMPT1V9Z2?source=fedsrch