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MW 2012: Online Scholarly Catalogues at the Art Institute of Chicago

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Elizabeth Neely
Elizabeth Neely

The document discusses the Art Institute of Chicago's Online Scholarly Catalogue Initiative (OSCI) project to digitally publish the museum's collection research. It provides details on the goals of embracing digital capabilities while maintaining scholarly standards, the technical process for high-resolution imaging and annotations, positive feedback received, and outstanding questions around resources, business models, and integrating the publications with collection management over time.

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Online Scholarly Catalogues at the Art Institute of Chicago Liz Neely & Sam Quigley The Art Institute of Chicago
The OSCI Project Initiated and Funded by the Getty Foundation
Online Scholarly Catalogue Initiative •  Getty Foundation initiated to explore possibilities of presenting collection research digitally. •  A consortium of nine museums •  Exploring sustainable and replicable models •  Assess how digital publishing might impact institutional structures
Re-envisioning the Scholarly Catalogue Art Institute s Goal: To embrace the appropriate capabilities of the web without leaving behind the weight and authority naturally ascribed to the book format
In  addi0on  to   Large  color  plates   Technical  images   Compara6ve   illustra6ons   Details       Includes  fully   footnoted  and   edited   Technical  Notes   Provenance   References   Our Gold Exhibi6on  History   Curatorial  Entry     Standard
Requirements of the Scholarly Audience Art Institute s Goal: To specifically target the needs of a scholarly audience. • It needed to be an authoritative, permanent, and citable reference and maintain the high standards of our previously published print collection catalogues.
It is our hope that this innovative online platform you experience here will make the important curatorial and conservation research that is part of every museum s mission more broadly accessible and illuminating. Douglas Druick Director s Forward Monet Paintings and Drawings at the Art Institute of Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago OSCI Catalogue Features
MW 2012: Online Scholarly Catalogues at the Art Institute of Chicago
MW 2012: Online Scholarly Catalogues at the Art Institute of Chicago
MW 2012: Online Scholarly Catalogues at the Art Institute of Chicago
MW 2012: Online Scholarly Catalogues at the Art Institute of Chicago
Implementation: Authoring the Online Scholarly Catalogue
High-Resolution Imaging
Multilayer Imaging Tool
Image Registration
Object Photography Art movement scheduled with Conservation captures technical Collection Manager, Imaging images and examines artwork and Conservation Conservation registers technical Imaging captures hi-rez natural image layers against hi-rez natural light and UV, stitches tiles, light photography masks background Conservation/curatorial annotate layers Image uploaded to IIP Final technical layers uploaded and Details defined for publication annotations converted to SVG for publication
Other Illustrations Comparative Illustrations Archival Documents Publications procures rights and Pull URI from JSTOR or images, as they do for print Scan original and OCR for publications search and upload Archival Images Digital Information uploads images minding rights Source, scan and upload restrictions
Why Expend So Much Effort? It s like seeing detective work, but everyone has the same clues. Douglas Druick, in NYTimes article by Carol Vogel 11/17/2011
Audience Response
Launch Strategy •  Target audience – Scholars •  Listservs rolled out over the first few weeks •  Soft launch, minimal press •  Launched just before MCN in Atlanta (11/11/11)
Stats - Analytics •  3,875 visits (as of January 31, 2012) •  76 different museums and other cultural institutions •  117 universities
Stats - Analytics •  Readers spent on average over 12 minutes on the site (by browser) •  Geographically wide demographics •  47 states and 53 countries
Stats - Qualitative •  96 survey respondents, 11 individual emails •  Curators, conservators, technologists, publishing professionals, librarians and archivists, and general museum-goers •  Regardless of discipline—majority view the conservation imagery as the most innovative aspect of the catalogues •  Respondents have been largely (64.9%) scholars—our intended audience.
Stats – Qualitative J •  Nearly 90% of respondents said that the catalogues were either very easy or somewhat easy to navigate. •  More than half (57.8%) indicated that there were not any aspects of the catalogues that they had difficulty accessing. •  Appreciated the hi-rez luxurious imagery, innovative technology, and conceptual envisioning of a new collection catalogue.
Stats - Qualitative L •  Four main categories of criticism clearly emerged: –  Browser compatibility (16%), icons (14%), navigation (12%), and speed (3%). •  Obvious and easy to resolve issues are currently being addressed through our continued collaboration with the IMA Lab to improve the reader experience.
Scholars Embracing Digital Publication •  95% of respondents involved in scholarly research said that they would reference and cite the catalogues as they would a printed publication. •  100% of respondents who identified themselves as academics said that they would find such a publication a valuable addition to a colleague s tenure portfolio.
Moving Forward
The Technologists Role •  Take cues from print and editorial models •  Shape and support the author s vision •  Critically examine the use of media •  Push the author to promote clarity •  Bend and compromise, listen and hone author s intent Have a formative impact on the publication!
MW 2012: Online Scholarly Catalogues at the Art Institute of Chicago
Outstanding Questions • Are we properly staffed and organized to accomplish the highly collaborative nature of these projects? • How will OSCI coexist with our print publishing schedules and priorities? • How do we structure expectations of digital editorial workflows and schedules?
Outstanding Questions • What are the business models by which we can offer our catalogues to the public online? • How do we stay current in the rapidly evolving digital publication environment?
The Dream… Scholarly Research and Publishing Ecosystem To incorporate these scholarly tools into our collection management system, CITI, and make it an active, propelling agent, as well as a repository of the continuous scholarly process.
Thank you! Scholarly catalogues: publications.artic.edu Liz Neely Sam Quigley eneely@artic.edu squigley@artic.edu @lili_czarina
MW 2012: Online Scholarly Catalogues at the Art Institute of Chicago

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MW 2012: Online Scholarly Catalogues at the Art Institute of Chicago

  • 1. Online Scholarly Catalogues at the Art Institute of Chicago Liz Neely & Sam Quigley The Art Institute of Chicago
  • 2. The OSCI Project Initiated and Funded by the Getty Foundation
  • 3. Online Scholarly Catalogue Initiative •  Getty Foundation initiated to explore possibilities of presenting collection research digitally. •  A consortium of nine museums •  Exploring sustainable and replicable models •  Assess how digital publishing might impact institutional structures
  • 4. Re-envisioning the Scholarly Catalogue Art Institute s Goal: To embrace the appropriate capabilities of the web without leaving behind the weight and authority naturally ascribed to the book format
  • 5. In  addi0on  to   Large  color  plates   Technical  images   Compara6ve   illustra6ons   Details       Includes  fully   footnoted  and   edited   Technical  Notes   Provenance   References   Our Gold Exhibi6on  History   Curatorial  Entry     Standard
  • 6. Requirements of the Scholarly Audience Art Institute s Goal: To specifically target the needs of a scholarly audience. • It needed to be an authoritative, permanent, and citable reference and maintain the high standards of our previously published print collection catalogues.
  • 7. It is our hope that this innovative online platform you experience here will make the important curatorial and conservation research that is part of every museum s mission more broadly accessible and illuminating. Douglas Druick Director s Forward Monet Paintings and Drawings at the Art Institute of Chicago
  • 8. Art Institute of Chicago OSCI Catalogue Features
  • 17. Object Photography Art movement scheduled with Conservation captures technical Collection Manager, Imaging images and examines artwork and Conservation Conservation registers technical Imaging captures hi-rez natural image layers against hi-rez natural light and UV, stitches tiles, light photography masks background Conservation/curatorial annotate layers Image uploaded to IIP Final technical layers uploaded and Details defined for publication annotations converted to SVG for publication
  • 18. Other Illustrations Comparative Illustrations Archival Documents Publications procures rights and Pull URI from JSTOR or images, as they do for print Scan original and OCR for publications search and upload Archival Images Digital Information uploads images minding rights Source, scan and upload restrictions
  • 19. Why Expend So Much Effort? It s like seeing detective work, but everyone has the same clues. Douglas Druick, in NYTimes article by Carol Vogel 11/17/2011
  • 21. Launch Strategy •  Target audience – Scholars •  Listservs rolled out over the first few weeks •  Soft launch, minimal press •  Launched just before MCN in Atlanta (11/11/11)
  • 22. Stats - Analytics •  3,875 visits (as of January 31, 2012) •  76 different museums and other cultural institutions •  117 universities
  • 23. Stats - Analytics •  Readers spent on average over 12 minutes on the site (by browser) •  Geographically wide demographics •  47 states and 53 countries
  • 24. Stats - Qualitative •  96 survey respondents, 11 individual emails •  Curators, conservators, technologists, publishing professionals, librarians and archivists, and general museum-goers •  Regardless of discipline—majority view the conservation imagery as the most innovative aspect of the catalogues •  Respondents have been largely (64.9%) scholars—our intended audience.
  • 25. Stats – Qualitative J •  Nearly 90% of respondents said that the catalogues were either very easy or somewhat easy to navigate. •  More than half (57.8%) indicated that there were not any aspects of the catalogues that they had difficulty accessing. •  Appreciated the hi-rez luxurious imagery, innovative technology, and conceptual envisioning of a new collection catalogue.
  • 26. Stats - Qualitative L •  Four main categories of criticism clearly emerged: –  Browser compatibility (16%), icons (14%), navigation (12%), and speed (3%). •  Obvious and easy to resolve issues are currently being addressed through our continued collaboration with the IMA Lab to improve the reader experience.
  • 27. Scholars Embracing Digital Publication •  95% of respondents involved in scholarly research said that they would reference and cite the catalogues as they would a printed publication. •  100% of respondents who identified themselves as academics said that they would find such a publication a valuable addition to a colleague s tenure portfolio.
  • 29. The Technologists Role •  Take cues from print and editorial models •  Shape and support the author s vision •  Critically examine the use of media •  Push the author to promote clarity •  Bend and compromise, listen and hone author s intent Have a formative impact on the publication!
  • 31. Outstanding Questions • Are we properly staffed and organized to accomplish the highly collaborative nature of these projects? • How will OSCI coexist with our print publishing schedules and priorities? • How do we structure expectations of digital editorial workflows and schedules?
  • 32. Outstanding Questions • What are the business models by which we can offer our catalogues to the public online? • How do we stay current in the rapidly evolving digital publication environment?
  • 33. The Dream… Scholarly Research and Publishing Ecosystem To incorporate these scholarly tools into our collection management system, CITI, and make it an active, propelling agent, as well as a repository of the continuous scholarly process.
  • 34. Thank you! Scholarly catalogues: publications.artic.edu Liz Neely Sam Quigley eneely@artic.edu squigley@artic.edu @lili_czarina