Conclusion and Recommendations
This study set out to paint a picture of the state of open GLAM in the UK, in all its nuance and complexities, to identify what the sector needs to move forward and enable new futures around the UK’s outstanding cultural collections and any barriers to that goal. TaNC is about realising these futures through the networked potential of digital collections held across UK GLAMs.
This study found the key building blocks to enable connectedness and new discoveries beyond TaNC projects are not present, namely due to the practice of claiming new rights in digital collections of public domain works based on desires to reserve them for any potential commercial viability.
A strong open access foundation must support the premise that public domain collections remain in the public domain following digitisation. This not only aligns with UK copyright law but reflects a growing and global understanding of open GLAM. Otherwise, barriers to access will remain and undermine the impact of TaNC projects and others across the UK GLAM sector.
This study has identified the extent to which UK GLAMs engage with open access, how far there still is to go, what is required and what is at risk. The key takeaway is that the rights-related barriers are overwhelmingly self-imposed by GLAMs. It is within the sector’s control to change this culture of copyright and commercialisation. Based on this, the following recommendations are made.
Take a position on copyright and open licensing
It is recommended that TaNC, AHRC and UKRI take a position on copyright and open licensing and adopt a policy for future funding awarded by the programme and its potential successor infrastructure, as outlined below.
To support adoption, TaNC should collaborate with other UK funding bodies and associations such as Arts Council England, the National Museum Directors’ Council, the wider Arts and Humanities Research Council, Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, the Archives and Records Association and The National Lottery Heritage Fund. This might include:
- Organizing a meeting to present the report’s findings and its recommendations;
- Bringing key leaders together to support the report;
- Working toward a shared policy for UK funding bodies and associations; and
- Developing a shared programme for long term public domain, copyright and open access support, as outlined below.
At minimum, a statement should incorporate the following positions:
An endorsement of the UK IPO’s Copyright Notice
This will support the retroactive application of CC0 to non-original reproduction media generated around public domain collections. GLAMs can voluntarily align where they have cleared and claimed rights in digital assets.
Adopt an open licensing requirement for future infrastructure outputs
This will support the prospective application of CC0 to non-original reproduction media generated around public domain collections. This should include obligations to publish original materials produced with infrastructure funding as CC BY to enable their widest possible reuse while ensuring
