DARIAH-CH/GLAM
| DARIAH-CH | GLAM working group | DARIAH-CH website |
The DARIAH-CH GLAM Working Group is a working group (WG) of DARIAH-CH, which is the Swiss node of the European Digital Research Infrastructure for the Arts and Humanities. The WG aims to strengthen the cooperation between libraries, archives, museums, heritage institutions, and the Arts and Humanities in the area of digital infrastructures. Its activities aim towards building a scholarly community of practice focusing on sharing data, tools, services, and knowledge to produce digitally enabled scholarship that is reusable, visible, and sustainable.
Improve DARIAH-CH/GLAM/Pillars
There has been a strong link between GLAM institutions and higher education institutions focused on arts and humanities. This link is becoming ever more important in the context of the digital transformation, which not only affects how work within the institutions is conducted, but also provides new opportunities and poses new challenges to the collaboration across institutional boundaries. Data related to heritage collections is of crucial value for research conducted by higher education institutions and/or GLAM institutions. And conversely, research (specifically in the arts and digital humanities) contributes to heritage collections and informs the practices surrounding them.
The DARIAH-CH GLAM Working Group (WG) therefore strives to foster this cross-sectional collaboration and to bring representatives from the different institutions together to implement joint projects, define common best practices and approaches and jointly address shared challenges.o do so, the DARIAH-CH GLAM WG invites all members of the relevant institutions to join the collaboration based on the following pillars:
1. Establish an open collaboration
editThe collaboration in the DARIAH-CH GLAM WG is designed to be open in various ways. First, participation is open to interested individuals and institutions from all sectors, and diversity is explicitly sought both in the WG itself as well as in the wider network. Second, the open sharing of documentation and data from all members is encouraged and provides an important basis for the collaboration. Third, the use of open, neutral, and ethical software is encouraged and supported among Working Group members.
2. Leverage synergies
editUnderstand the needs, requirements and limitations of the different institutions and define common goals in light of these preconditions. This means for instance leveraging the potential that comes from new collaborations to increase the visibility, accessibility, but also joining forces when it comes to acquiring resources or addressing joint challenges.
3. Build shared knowledge, resources, and processes
editIn order to implement joint projects smoothly, ensure knowledge sharing and effectively use the existing synergies, some basic common infrastructure and understanding has to be established and succinctly used in the collaborations within the WG. This includes shared processes and documentation, communication channels, standards for data structure and quality as well as a joint vision and goals.
4. Focus on output
editWhereas a joint understanding, shared goals and some basic structures are necessary for the collaboration to work smoothly, the WG aims at creating tangible outputs from the beginning. This is key not just for convincing members of the WG of its importance and potential to deliver tangible results, but is also crucial for acquiring funding and ensuring the economic sustainability of the WG’s efforts. Focusing on outputs also means that relevant metrics for progress are identified and there is a regular critical assessment of the latter.
5. Strive for sustainability
editImprove DARIAH-CH/GLAM/Objectives
Overarching objectives for 2025-2028
edit- Support thematic projects that can facilitate a conversation between the GLAM institutions, including their respective networks, and scientific research areas with respect to opening data and carrying out joint projects.
- Whenever possible and by means of already existing projects, establish good collaboration relationships with public administrations of cantons with the aim to facilitate the GLAM institutions’ participation in joint projects with arts and humanities scientific research.
- Identify national and European multiplier entities and onboard them in the DARIAH-CH GLAM WG.
- Coordinate with related initiatives at the European level, especially thematic working groups, such as DARIAH, Europeana, Wikimedia, and others.
Objectives for 2025
edit| No. | Objective | Related pillar(s) - see DARIAH-CH GLAM Pillars |
| 1 | GLAM and higher education institutions, as well as key roles such as researchers, curators or data experts, are represented in the WG in a balanced way. | 1 - Establish an open collaboration
2 - Leverage synergies |
| 2 | The basis for sharing of data, processes, resources and documentation among the Working Group members is established. | 1 - Establish an open collaboration
2 - Leverage synergies |
| 3 | Joint goals in terms of the different dimensions of sustainability are defined. | 5 - Strive for sustainability |
| 4 | The Working Group is active in finding and supporting and/or triggering thematic projects that support the collaboration between GLAM institutions and higher education institutions in arts and humanities. | 4 - Focus on output |
| 5 | Knowledge sharing and skill building is enabled through regular meetings and events. | 2 - Leverage synergies
3 - Build shared knowledge, resources and processes |