Prospects for the Network of Multimedia Resource Centres

1. Introduction
   
   
2. Project review
   
   
3. Prospects
   
   
1. Basic goals
   
   
1. Legal regulations
   
   
2. Acceptance and expansion
   
   
2. Organizational infrastructure and financing
   
   
3. Code of Conduct
   
   
4. Concrete action for 2005 to 2007
   
   
   

I. Introduction

The Network of Multimedia Resource Centres was constituted in November 2000 on the joint initiative of the foundations of the Deutsches Rundfunkarchiv / German National Broadcasting Archives (DRA) and the Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland / Museum of Contemporary History (HdG). The founding members were 13 major supra-regional archives, libraries, document centres, research facilities and museums.

The primary goal of the "Network of Multimedia Resource Centres" is to safeguard, preserve and develop audiovisual sources and materials as a significant cultural resource, as well as to make them available for education, scholarship, research, instruction, and art. The idea is to make it easier for the interested public to gain access - often a very difficult thing - to non-central multimedia collections via the Internet. The benefits of the Network's intentionally open structure consist in 1) the proven and organically developed system of non-central archiving and resources management in the federally organized Republic of Germany, 2) access to the available AV media independent of location, and 3) networking by means of modern communications technologies. The underlying perception of the Network is that in the age of IT and communications, multimedia resource centres can be non-centrally linked to one another, nationally and internationally, in an organizationally useful and economical way.

II. Project review

In September 2001, overall project coordination was transferred from the DRA to the HdG.

The first and most important concern under HdG management was to set up a bilingual internet portal (www.netzwerk-mediatheken.de). The German version went online in February 2002; the English version followed in October 2002. The Portal opened up institutional and practical access to the metadata of the audiovisual media available from Network affiliates.

On 7-8 October 2003 the HdG in cooperation with the DRA organized an international symposium entitled "Media Collections in Germany in the International Spectrum. Resources and Access". The purpose of the Symposium was to highlight the importance of multimedia collections for today's information-focused society, to survey and compare means of access to AV media, and to discuss related questions bearing on copyright. The findings have been available in published form since October 2004.

III. Prospects

A. Basic goals

• Safeguarding cultural resources
  One advantage of the network model is that it can aid in deciding which AV productions are worth preservation in future.

• Preserving resources non-centrally
  UIn order to make AV media available as a cultural resource at many locations, a model of non-central preservation embracing a wide variety of multimedia collections should be realized. Another advantage is that each of the various institutions sets its own special content-related focal points.

• Making resources accessible
  Collections of reproduced materials supplement the multimedia archives' collections of originals and optimize access to the cultural resource called AV media. Equal justice must be done to the interests of authors/producers and users.

• Networking information
  The specially developed Internet presentation of the "Network of Multimedia Resource Centres" links up the archives/multimedia collections and guides the user to the desired resource.

• Cooperating
  The institutions cooperate in providing reciprocal, specialized and professional support.

1. Legal regulations

Within the scope of these goals, the Network of Multimedia Resource Centres will exert influence on the discussion of the relevant legal regulations (including copyright, digital rights management, data protection, etc.). The managing institution will take up the legal questions or problems formulated in Network conferences and pass them on to the responsible political bodies, while representing there the interests of the Network affiliates.

2. Acceptance and expansion

a) Public acceptance is to be created for this model. For this purpose cooperation is to be developed, in particular with

• the responsible political bodies

• the licensing agencies

• the broadcasting networks

• the affected organizations/associations

• all major multimedia-collecting institutions.

b) Additional affiliates for the Network
Future Network expansion should in the first instance aim at all institutions incorporated under public law and institutions with comparable cultural objectives. Commercial collections are at present not to be incorporated as institutions but could be included in the Internet presentation via links. Special attention should be directed to already existing networks. Cooperation among affiliates is to be fostered. Cooperation should also be sought with foreign partners.

c) Online resources are to be enhanced by the affiliates to the extent practicable, so as to improve search results and information about possible forms of use. The Internet availability of digital media catalogues (metadata) and audiovisual resources is to be increased.

B. Organizational infrastructure and financing

The Network of Multimedia Resource Centres has been financed to date by the DRA and the HdG. The Network is to be carried on for the time being as a project in the coming years. The aim must be to ensure its further development by means of additional financing from external sources. In the search for such funding, possible addresses would include the responsible ministries, foundations, the affiliates, etc. Affiliates are requested to make suggestions.
In the medium term the aim must be to explore the question of which organizational forms can lead to optimum solutions.

C. Code of Conduct

The Network of Multimedia Resource Centres agrees on the following "Code of Conduct":

• The "Network of Multimedia Resource Centres" serves to fulfil tasks devolving on its participants. In this regard it undertakes safeguarding and examining functions only.

• The participants will be active in safeguarding, examining, developing and making available audiovisual material in accordance with the interests of the authors as well as those of the public.

• They ensure highest standards of service by maintaining suitable collections promising a useful yield; by the fair exchange of materials; and by providing professional, carefully compiled and undiluted information on their resources.

• They oppose all attempts at censorship undertaken by groups or individuals.

• They safeguard the rights of their users with regard to the confidentiality of user data and of research findings.

• They commit themselves to fair dealings with one another.

• Strict separation is to be maintained between 1) the personal opinions and interests of the Network participants and 2) the interests of the Network as a whole.

D. Concrete action for 2005 to 2007

• Safeguarding the Network's infrastructure (staff and information technology) in order to guarantee and further develop the standards maintained to date and to achieve the aforementioned medium and long-term goals.

• Formulating goals regarding "copyright/digital rights management".

• Formulating goals regarding "expansion and acceptance".

• Further developing digital archiving and AV resources offered on the Internet by the participating institutions.