Purpose

Proposal to adopt a new approach to managing digital assets
relating to the museum collections and their availability for wider
use.

Content

Agreed:
 
RECOMMENDED that Council
approve:-
 
(1) the adoption of an
‘Open Access Strategy’ in relation to digital copies of
public domain works and other materials which are out-of-copyright
(see Appendix 1);
 
(2) authority being delegated
to the Museums Manager (or subsequent equivalent post) and the
Portfolio Holder for Culture and City Centre Strategy (or
subsequent equivalent post) to determine the digitised public
domain works and other out-of copyright
materials to be published online in accordance with the Open Access
Strategy;
 
(3) the Museums Manager (or subsequent equivalent post)
reporting on the progress of the Open Access Strategy on a
quarterly basis to the Director for Culture, Leisure, Tourism and
Communications (or subsequent equivalent post) and Portfolio Holder
for Culture and City Centre Strategy (or subsequent equivalent
post);
 
(4) allowing the free reuse of
digitised public domain collections up to 300 dpi when printed at
A5 (‘medium resolution’), as detailed in the fees and
charges schedule and retaining the high resolution versions for
commercialisation and restricting reuse through contracts;
and
 
(5) the adoption of the fees and charges schedule
attached to the report to be reviewed on an annual
basis.
 
Reason for Decision: As set
out in the report.