Nick Poole OBE

✨ New article ✨ I asked sixteen major cultural institutions in the UK about their copyright policies for digital surrogates of public domain works. Their responses reveal stark differences in interpretations of copyright law. I argue that inconsistent approaches to copyright are hindering access to cultural heritage and negatively impacting the reuse of important public collections. A collaborative effort among UK cultural institutions to develop consistent copyright policies, aligning with the guidance of the Intellectual Property Office, would improve clarity around access and reuse for all users. Read on 👉 https://lnkd.in/eFASnD8K #museums #copyright #openaccess #publicdomain #licensing #UK #law #digital

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Digital Transcription for Archival Study. Really good to be taking part in a transcriptions workshop today with the Digital Creativity and Cultures Hub at the University of Leeds. This session was aimed at demystifying the practical process of transcription and markup of archival sources, and the role of these tools in undertaking digitally-informed archival research. #archives #digitalhumanities #transcription

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The big question is what will need to change to make a long form OA REF requirement acceptable in 2029 if it is not acceptable now… https://lnkd.in/ekinKPkz

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‘History and Archives in Practice’ (HAP) is where historians and archivists come together to consider shared interests in archive collections, their interpretation and use. HAP is a collaboration. We're now looking for a fourth partner to join us for #HAP26 Following HAP24, which took place at Cardiff University in March 2024, we're taking HAP across the country once more and are keen to partner with UK archive centres - large and small - to continue our engagement with collections and learning about good practice in the archives! Could this be your organisation? If yes, we're inviting organisations and institutions to submit their interest in becoming our HAP26 partner. Please complete the following form by Monday 13 January 2025: https://lnkd.in/e5UB2Fr7 Please note that you must be able to host #HAP26 in March 2026. ‘History and Archives in Practice’ encourages a wide range of formats that best showcase a collection and the experience / lessons of collaborative working between archivists and historians on shared projects. We are particularly keen to highlight and support smaller organisations, underrepresented collections and marginalised voices as well as new and emerging research. If successful, you'll work with HAP organisers in shaping the theme for the 2026 event. Some things to consider when applying: ☑️ Why partner with HAP? ☑️ Details about the proposed venue (including accessibility provisions and proximity of spaces) ☑️ Technical provisions ☑️ Catering provisions ☑️ Access to and engagement with collections There is no cost associated with HAP partnership and we ask that the venue is offered in-kind. Should you be interested in acting as a fourth partner for HAP26 and have any issues or questions regarding the logistics, please reach out to us via [email protected].

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I published five articles this year about museums, copyright and digital collections in the UK. Here's a quick recap: In January I analysed how the ruling in THJ v Sheridan, regarding copyright and the threshold of originality in UK law, might affect cultural institutions: https://lnkd.in/e5Jmrs2U In 'Schrödinger’s copyright' I showed how the same digitised public domain work by the same artist can be considered both in and out of copyright by different museums within the same legal jurisdiction: https://lnkd.in/edTbEyHY Then, drawing on newly acquired financial data, I investigated how often museum picture libraries actually generate profits, and at what cost to public access: https://lnkd.in/ey66GkMp In August, going further down the rabbit hole, your intrepid author explored the strange ways in which the Victoria and Albert Museum manages copyright for its digitised public domain collections: https://lnkd.in/eRs_CFjz And finally, supplied with fresh data from a summer Freedom of Information campaign, I analysed the inconsistencies in UK museums’ copyright claims over digital reproductions of public domain works: https://lnkd.in/eFASnD8K If any of these articles have been useful/interesting to you, do let me know, I love hearing about this. Cheers! #museums #copyright #licensing #openaccess #openGLAM #digitalstrategy

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#Budget2024 | UK museum bodies have made a joint submission to HM Treasury's call for policy suggestions for the Autumn Budget. Read it here 👉 https://ow.ly/oJxt50ToSgW Together with the National Museum Directors' Council, Art Fund, the Association of Independent Museums and the English Civic Museums Network, we've outlined how museums are well placed to deliver on all of the UK Government's five missions. We've also highlighted the current severe challenges for UK museums after more than a decade of austerity. Our proposals for this year's budget include: 💷 Emergency funding for civic museums 🏢 Fair long-term settlements for local authorities ⚖️ Maintaining funding for Arts Council England 🔨 Capital investment for all UK museums 🇬🇧 Devolved museum funding settlements 🎨 Cultural and creative education 🔓 Retaining free admission to national museums 📊 Maintaining the higher rates of exhibition tax relief We will continue working in partnership to make the case to government for adequate, long-term and sustainable investment in all UK museums, including in preparation for the upcoming Spending Review in spring 2025.

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Some interesting research from the Ada Lovelace Institute indicating that local authorities need clear and comprehensive guidance in procuring AI systems that work for the public good. It's not a big surprise, given that public authorities are still getting to grips with the possibilities and pitfalls for AI, and the market is developing so fast that nobody has a completely clear picture. But the institute has highlighted that, with many public leaders and politicians pressing the case for greater use of AI, local authorities need as clear a view as possible of the pros and cons of systems they procure. There are organisations taking the lead for local government in each country of the UK and hopefully they have this on their agendas. https://lnkd.in/eedNTAeZ #localgovernment #govtech

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When forming your policy on cataloguing, it is important to consider what the target 'basic' catalogue record for different parts of the collection should look like, and why. 🔗 https://buff.ly/3LcWWOv #PrimaryProcedures #MuseumDocumentation #Museums

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Participants produced such great poems in such a short time in my #NarrativeInquiry lunch time session for CILIP: The library and information association LIRG today. Here are the slides: https://lnkd.in/e77uQdwU Here is the Padlet with the resources I shared and participants' poems: https://lnkd.in/eZDprSSd The session was recorded so hopeful that I will have access to share that soon. #LISresearch #LibraryResearch #PractitionerResearch

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I have been hearing that UK Universities are the focus of website accessibility checks of late. This is the responsibility of EVERY public body but the panic of a warning can be avoided. **Make sure your accessibility statement is up to date!** This can be used to explain where any shortfall in matching legislation is found and what you plan to do to address this. Those libraries that use a provider for your portal to the world - contact them for help. More info on the legislation here : https://lnkd.in/e2iTYMS7 A sample accessibility statement is here: https://lnkd.in/epB_q5yW #accessibility #websiteaccessibility #libraryaccessibility #accessibilitystatement

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Our thoughts on the REF decision for OA books and what happens next ... On 14 August 2024 it was announced by the four UK higher education funding bodies that there will be no longform open access (OA) mandate for REF 2029. Instead an open access requirement for submission of longform outputs will be in place for the next assessment exercise, with implementation from 1 January 2029.  We are disappointed about this decision to delay introducing a mandate for OA books for another REF cycle, given the time the sector has already had to adapt to the idea of, and prepare the ground for, OA books. While we agree that an OA mandate for books would have added a further compliance burden on scholars and HE institutions, as all mandates do, but this direction of travel was indicated several years ago. We believe that a shift to OA for books is both possible and necessary, as we set out in our response to the REF consultation on this issue earlier in the year. We therefore see the declared intention to develop a policy for open access books to be implemented in January 2029, not as another projection to be ignored, but as an urgent deadline. We don’t have a magic wand, but the following blog post lays out some strategies below that we believe will help to support this transition. https://lnkd.in/ec73rMDJ We are eager to hear more about what other actors are doing in this area to support a transition to OA books, including publishers, universities, libraries and authors: no one group can do this by themselves. We’re keen to forge new connections with people and organisations that share this goal, so please get in touch with us if you’d like to talk. We can be reached by email: [email protected]

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Another fantastic article from Richard Ovenden, Librarian at "The Bod", University of Oxford https://lnkd.in/etj7u4Ew 'we urgently need the incoming government to place a long overdue focus on libraries, and to develop a supporting national strategy, bringing together all of the library ecosystem, including public, school, national, university and specialist libraries. Libraries are a key part of the infrastructure of democracy: in Ukraine, libraries are being deliberately attacked by Russian forces—here we are effectively attacking our own provision through severe cuts to funding... ...Libraries contribute to so many aspects of our public life—they are at the heart of the knowledge economy, education, culture and the creative industries, heritage as well as social care—that we need a distinct minister for libraries. ' The Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford #Libraries #InfoPros #KMers #Library #CILIP CILIP: The library and information association, Prospect Magazine

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The Ethics And Evolution of Truth and Information: Proceedings of the Association for Library and Information Science Education Annual Conference (#ALISE 2024) Now Available Online https://ow.ly/yjyR50TP6zV #libraries #libraryscience #informationscience

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Need some guidance on the different levels of editing? This topic page on my website is rammed with links to articles, booklets, books, courses and podcasts. Access it here! 🔎👉 https://lnkd.in/evcK4it5

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Need some guidance on the different levels of editing? This topic page on my website is rammed with links to articles, booklets, books, courses and podcasts. Go here to enter the library. 👁️👉 https://lnkd.in/evcK4it5

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This is a good article highlighting the barriers for reuse of public domain content. Life could be made a lot easier for researchers/authors with a consistent approach. https://lnkd.in/etQETs66

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It's disheartening to see further evidence from Equity UK of the attack on arts funding. In real terms, Arts Council budgets in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have all shrunk significantly since 2017. Threats to arts access are mounting, after years of dwindling funding at the national and the local level. The arts have been repeatedly and systemically undervalued in education, society and policy. Enough is enough. We call for urgent action and a commitment to champion, defend and expand arts access for all. https://lnkd.in/edYMiUC4

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Today's museum question: As web and social media are tools for building relationships and also potentially for starting/ending museum experiences, are there examples of organisational structures around museum websites and social media, involving other rikes than the comms department? How are museums responding to web/social media being more and other things than for marketing? I am primarily interested in ”ownership” of the platforms. (AI image for attention).

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Just published the latest issue of Government Business, take a look below. ⬇️ As well as lots of info on the budget and the Procurement Act, this one has a feature from VisitLeeds, explaining why you should consider the city for your next event.

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