1 Workshop on Novel Technologies for Digital Preservation of Cultural Heritage Collections, Ormylia, 21-22/5/2004 LABORATORIES ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR THE CONSERVATION OF THE EUROPEAN CULTURAL HERITAGE A European Infrastructure Cooperation Network within Improving Human Potential (IHP) in the 5th FP coordinated by INSTM – Operative unit of Perugia

2 Workshop on Novel Technologies for Digital Preservation of Cultural Heritage Collections, Ormylia, 21-22/5/2004 Joint Activities of LabS TECH Network   JA1 Efficiency and usability of research facilities (Convenor: J-L Boutaine-C2RMF)   JA2 Materials and methods for conservation (Convenor: M.Matteini -OPD)  JA3 Data archiving and dissemination. (Convenor: M.Marabelli-ICR)

3 Workshop on Novel Technologies for Digital Preservation of Cultural Heritage Collections, Ormylia, 21-22/5/2004 Integrated Infrastructure Initiative Thirteen European Infrastructures, working in the field of scientific and technological applications to the study and conservation of cultural heritage, are cooperating in an Integrated Infrastructure Initiative with the objective to enhance the access to the most advanced resources, to promote the highest level of research and to diffuse good practices in conservation. III operational modes Networking activities Networking activities on the rational use of analytical resources and on materials and methods in conservation Transnational accesses Transnational accesses to advanced facilities and know-how Joint research activities Joint research activities to improve the infrastructure performances. The final goal is the structuring of a European research area in science for conservation, with common advanced resources, agreed high- quality practices and homogeneous objectives. LabS TECH LabS TECH, LABoratories on Science and Technology for the conservation of the European Cultural Heritage, HPRI-CT EU-ARTECH EU-ARTECH, Access, Research and Technology for the Conservation of the European Cultural Heritage, FP

4 Workshop on Novel Technologies for Digital Preservation of Cultural Heritage Collections, Ormylia, 21-22/5/2004 JA3 - Task 1 ( ICR ): “Inventory of databases on analysis and conservation of cultural heritage materials” Outcome A database on existing databases and conventional archives of scientific and technical data accessible at the web site. Metadata on the content and the logical structure of existing archives with the aim to report their availability or limits in their accessibility. JA3: Archiving and dissemination

5 Workshop on Novel Technologies for Digital Preservation of Cultural Heritage Collections, Ormylia, 21-22/5/2004 JA3 - Task 3 (“Ormylia”): “ Elaboration of optimal forms for archiving analysis data” Outcome Necessity for the integration of all the existing separate -conventional and digital- archives of scientific and technical data into a united system, which should manage and correlate any information, knowledge and expertise in the field, provided by all relevant disciplines (by conservators, museum curators, researchers). Prospects of potential availability of all the information stored to be accessible by any number and category of users, independently of discipline. JA3: Archiving and dissemination JA3 - Task 4 ( “Ormylia” ): “Towards uniformity of Data archiving” Expected Outcome Results of the discussion on the feasible convergence in technical approaches, on the promotion of agreements on standards, protocols, guidelines and methods of good practice critical to develop common frameworks, which make possible interoperability among the different approaches for managing, preserving and making accessible digital cultural content.

6 Workshop on Novel Technologies for Digital Preservation of Cultural Heritage Collections, Ormylia, 21-22/5/2004 JA3: Archiving and dissemination JA3- Task 3: “ Elaboration of optimal forms for archiving data” JA3 - Task 4: “Towards uniformity of Data archiving” The objective of these tasks is to take advantage of lately existing advanced technologies, in order to propose novel approaches for archiving, preservation and dissemination of cultural digital content. The point is to foresee the development of DL infrastructures for the management of data (scientific and technical, but also historical and related to the collections’ management) not starting from the beginning, but, by integrating the important, already existing, individual - conventional and digital – multidisciplinary archives into a generic system. Such an integrated system should enable users of any profile (independently of discipline or expertise) to access the information stored in a friendly and effective way. The discussion is on how to proceed (existing technologies / available tools) for the development of infrastructures (open and expandable), embodying the different approaches, supporting various applications or services and covering progressively expanding needs.

7 Workshop on Novel Technologies for Digital Preservation of Cultural Heritage Collections, Ormylia, 21-22/5/2004 Outline of the progressive subtasks approached for Task JA3 - 3 (“Ormylia”): “ Elaboration of optimal forms for archiving data” In order to elaborate possible schemes and propose “optimal” forms for the development of an integrated system including any data related to the collection, preservation, visualisation and dissemination of art objects or monuments, we propose: 1. 1.Organisation of the general informational content for artworks documentation 2. 2.Optimization of the logical structure describing the relation among the different entities according to the domain knowledge 3. 3.Outline of users’ needs in order to define requirements of such a database system 4. 4.Evaluation of existing technologies and expertise as well as established standards, protocols, and methods of good practice Outline of possible architectures

8 Workshop on Novel Technologies for Digital Preservation of Cultural Heritage Collections, Ormylia, 21-22/5/2004 Organisation of the general informational content for artworks documentation Schema of the informational content of digital archives for an artwork Case study: painted artworks 1. 1.Artwork identification (general information / author / context / …) 2. 2.Description 3. 3.Aesthetic appearance 4. 4.Interpretation 5. 5.Technique 6. 6.Condition examination 7. 7.Exhibitions / loan history 8. 8.Related documentation (Textual / Image / Audio / video, etc.) 9. 9.Scientific Diagnosis (imaging, spectral data, etc)

9 Workshop on Novel Technologies for Digital Preservation of Cultural Heritage Collections, Ormylia, 21-22/5/2004 Logical structure describing the relation among the different entities, according to the domain knowledge of Diagnosis.

10 Workshop on Novel Technologies for Digital Preservation of Cultural Heritage Collections, Ormylia, 21-22/5/2004 Concept of an integrated system

11 Workshop on Novel Technologies for Digital Preservation of Cultural Heritage Collections, Ormylia, 21-22/5/2004 Digital cultural content characteristics and specificities Heterogeneity of Data Diversity of data types and variety of formats textual visual( 2D, 3D, “conventional” or technical images) scientific (spectra, measurements) multimedia data ( audio / video) Metadata on the acquisition, analysis and interpretation of the data Multidisciplinary domain knowledge Art History documentation Analytical study ConservationDisplay Collections management legal issues - Security Intellectual Property Rights

12 Workshop on Novel Technologies for Digital Preservation of Cultural Heritage Collections, Ormylia, 21-22/5/2004 Outline of users’ needs in order to define system requirements Generic A system must incorporate multilevel information and multimedia data provided by different disciplines and from different procedures. Semantically rich - high quality The information stored in such a database should interest both non- specialists and scientists coming from several scientific areas, searching multilevel information. Effective access to a comprehensible information This information should be accurate and complete from the scientific point of view, but, on the same time comprehensible and simple to the visitors of museums / exhibitions and to the non-specialists, in general. User friendly Interface - Visualization - Access over web Security Access after authorization, assuring the protection of Intellectual Property Rights of the owner of digital material. Open / expandable A database system must be dynamic, continually expandable to cover future needs and adaptable to new software environments, allowing interaction with other systems.

13 Workshop on Novel Technologies for Digital Preservation of Cultural Heritage Collections, Ormylia, 21-22/5/2004 Existing technologies and tools, recent developments, DL research directions Generic – Open and expandable Possible architectures of DL infrastructures supporting the integration of the multimodal-multilevel content. Adaptable to new technologies and future needs. DBMS solutions: Relational / Object Oriented / Knowledge based Metadata of software interfaces allowing interoperability. Semantically rich - High quality Effective accessibility of comprehensible information Existing meta-data standards and Semantic technologies for Data archiving and management, indexing and retrieval, enabling access by non-experts (or experts of a different discipline) to information, retaining the quality (terminological richness as well as knowledge- depth and structure per discipline). User friendly interface – dynamic access (over www) Customization of the form and extent of accessible information relevant to specific interests and needs. Visualisation of data. Personalization of the access respecting user profile. Web technologies.Security Technologies for the content protection (watermarking, etc)

14 Workshop on Novel Technologies for Digital Preservation of Cultural Heritage Collections, Ormylia, 21-22/5/2004 ARTISTE ARTISTE - Project ended on An Integrated Art Analysis and Navigation Environment CHIOS CHIOS - Thematic Network ended on Cultural Heritage Interchange Ontology Standardization DELOS DELOS - Project ended on A Network of Excellence on Digital Libraries MINERVA MINERVA - Minerva Project is enlarged to MINERVA Plus initiative Ministerial Network for Valorising Activities in digitisation SCHEMA SCHEMA - Project started at Network of Excellence on Content-Based Semantic Scene Analysis and Information Retrieval SCULPTEUR SCULPTEUR - Project started at Semantic and content –based multimedia exploitation for European benefit. Already existing expertise as a result of collaborative R&D initiatives or Thematic networks in Europe

15 Workshop on Novel Technologies for Digital Preservation of Cultural Heritage Collections, Ormylia, 21-22/5/2004 Development of infrastructures Enabling accessibility to CULTURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES of multilevel, multimodal information, in a user-friendly way, overcoming technical and physical limits, respecting multilingual terminology richness or multidisciplinary knowledge depth and protecting Intellectual Property Rights. Integration of the already existing, individual - conventional and digital – multidisciplinary archives of textual, visual and multimedia data to a united system Development of a generic system, adaptable, after customization by the content experts and personalization by the user Common objectives of Cultural content and DL Technology Experts Different approaches - Parallel efforts

16 Workshop on Novel Technologies for Digital Preservation of Cultural Heritage Collections, Ormylia, 21-22/5/2004 Cooperation among Cultural content and DL Technology Experts To point out ways to converge the parallel efforts In common definition of systems requirements, selection of the appropriate advanced technology - solutions to specific end - users needs Content experts End-users needs DL, IC Technologies experts Available or forthcoming solutions Towards a Integrated Large Scale Cultural Digital Library

17 Workshop on Novel Technologies for Digital Preservation of Cultural Heritage Collections, Ormylia, 21-22/5/2004 Workshop on NOVEL TECHNOLOGIES FOR DIGITAL PRESERVATION, INFORMATION PROCESSING AND ACCESS TO CULTURAL HERITAGE COLLECTIONS Participants: Cultural Content experts and DL, IC Technology developers to understand each - other For End - users to be aware on existing standards, protocols, guidelines and methods of good practice for the acquisition, collection, storage, and dissemination of information For Technology Developers to focus on the specificities of the cultural content and of end – users’ needsCo-operation to adapt already existing technology solutions or point out the necessity of further developments in order to meet the specific user requirements to draw future research directions to develop common frameworks and make possible interoperability among the different approaches for managing, preserving and disseminating digital cultural content. OBJECTIVES